It Froze Again
by OracleVortex
Summary: Here it is! The sequel to Reset Into the Game! This time Rae is sent back to help Sheik and Link battle Majora's Mask! OH WOW, EVERYONE. AN UPDATE! Chapter NINE is here! 28Aug2007
1. Prologue

It Froze Again

By OracleVortex

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Prologue: Let's recap… 

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OracleVortex: HI EVERYBODY!!!!!

Link/Sheik/Rae: HI ORACLEVORTEX!!!!!!

OV: You ready to have some bad-guy-kicking, land-saving, back-in-timing, fun?

Link/Sheik/Rae: Yeah!!

OV: Then let's get cracking!

Link/Sheik/Rae: Okay!!

Well, here it is, my second instalment to my OoT fic, Reset Into the Game, a Majora's Mask follow-up (Also, I own nothing to do with the Legends of Zelda. I am only borrowing all characters and basic storylines, etc.) 

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In the land of Termia, in the city called Clock Town, every year a carnival is held. Dedicated to the Goddess of Time, for she is their patron protector, the villagers celebrate harmony, peace and well-being of the races. Each year, at midnight on the eve of the festival, the clock tower opens, and a large ceremony is held on the top of the tower. All these festivities are held so that the people may ask the four gods for a rich harvest in the year to come. 

Masks are worn during this carnival, symbolizing the gods of the four worlds of Termia. They are handmade, and contain all hopes for a good and serene future. It is said that if a couple were to be married during the carnival, their union would be blessed and be seen in the favour of the gods and goddesses. 

However, the spirit of Majora has come to wreak havoc in revenge against the four gods of the lands, and on the day of the carnival, he will be the only one left to enjoy the next year. The moon will fall, the people will die, and he will live on forever.

But he did not count on the Children of Destiny to come to town. 

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Yep. There's the set up. See ya next chapter!

OracleVortex

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	2. Now You're Human, Now You're Not

Chapter One: Now you're human, now you're not…

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Sheik: OracleVortex still doesn't do disclaimers…so I'm telling you that she doesn't own anything to do with Zelda, except for her original ideas, which there will be a lot of, considering that she had totally changed this plotline around, and even added me!!

Link: {Grumbles}

Sheik: What?

Link: Nuthin.

Tatl: He hates sharing the spotlight!

Link: Who are you?

Tatl: Uh… {Vanishes}

Sheik: Whoa…that was weird…

Link: Yeah…

For the purposes of understanding my story better "::" will signify that someone is thinking, and that others can hear him/her. For example:

                                                                                ::I'm right here.:: Said Sheik.

                                                                                :: Where? :: Link asked. :: I can't see you. ::

                                                                                :: I'm here as well. ::

                                                                                :: Rae? :: Said Link. :: Then it is you! ::

                                                                                :: Darn right. :: Rae said. :: So…how's life? ::

This, however, is only applicable when they are in their special condition. What condition, you ask? Well, I'm not going to tell you, and spoil it for all those out there who haven't figured it out yet.

Enjoy!

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Link rode Epona, going at a leisurely pace. Not long ago had he, like so many others, left the crumbling land of Hyrule to travel to neighbouring countries. Link had separated from his faerie friend, Navi. Navi had been his constant companion for what was the seven misleading years of his life, and even stayed with him when Link had to defeat the evil king, Ganon. She had given her life to restore Zelda's and as a result, Ganon was trapped in the place between realms. Navi was Link's last friend, last remote link of family. With her gone, he felt he had no reason to stay in Hyrule and left to see the world. He had been a fighter all his life; the need for adventure still coursed through his veins.

Although Link would never admit it, there was another reason that he had left Hyrule.   

He wanted to get away…simple as that. There were too many memories; too many experiences that had happened in Hyrule that only made him feel pained. He had met a girl, not two years ago that had totally changed his life. She had been the most beautiful, most understanding person that he had ever met. He loved her.

She loved someone else.

Rae… Link thought. He glanced at the sky, watching the stars twinkle in the bright night. She had left in a bright flash of light, saying that she had to return to Canada. When she left, he felt a peculiar wrench in his chest, like she had taken a part of him with her. But however much it hurt him, he couldn't help but admit that Link felt feelings of satisfaction blended in with the remorse. As much as it pains him to admit, however silently, Link couldn't help but feel glad that she had left Sheik too. Sheik, of course, was the man who Rae had chosen over Link. 

Epona stopped abruptly. She was quivering, her nostrils flaring. 

"What's wrong?" A smooth voice asked this with a quiet curiosity. Sheik, Link's friend and travelling partner, was riding atop Carina, Rae's old horse. The Sheikah had come along with the Hylian in order to recover the rest of his people, who had been scattered across the lands during Gannon's reign. Despite the faint feelings of resentment Link felt towards the man, he managed to hide it well, and could not find any reason not to let Sheik travel with him. If Rae was to return again, Link knew that she wouldn't be able to bear the two most important men in her life being unable to associate with each other. Link would never hurt her.

"I don't know." 

Epona reared and tried to buck him off. "Epona! Whoa girl! Epona!" There was the light 'ting' of a bell and Carina suddenly mimicked Epona's action. The horses bolted, taking off at a frantic gallop. Link was thrown half way out of the saddle, holding onto Epona's mane for dear life. Sheik, drawing on trained instinct, threw himself sideways, landing in a clump of bushes. Whatever the horses had sensed, it was enough to make them try to dump their owners. Link suddenly jerked a few inches closer to the ground. He realized that the saddle clinches where slipping. Coming into a clearing with the stumps of giant trees, the saddle pulled loose completely, and Link was thrown to the ground. Rolling as best as he could, the wind was knocked out of him as slammed into a giant tree stump. 

With the world spinning in front of his eyes, Link gulped for air. Vaguely, he heard a dry laugh and a rustling that reminded him of Deku scrubs. Then, for the second time in his entire life, he blacked out.

~*~*~*~

Rae sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed in her bedroom. It has been almost two years since she had returned to Earth, to her home and real land. Where was she, you ask? Well, let's just say that The Legends of Zelda: Ocarina of Time isn't just a game for the N64. Rae had been strangely transported into the game and helped to save the world from the evil Ganon. She fought alongside Link and Sheik, who wasn't really the princess Zelda in disguise, but rather just her twin brother. Rae had been sent home, and she hadn't seen the sylvan heroes since. Her parents had questioned her for weeks, wondering where she had disappeared for two months. Rae provided no reason and her parents assumed that she, like her brother, Francis, had just taken off. Rae, grateful for the excuse, didn't argue with them, but she didn't agree either. 

The young woman sighed again, shifting her position on the bed. It was a winter night. It was only around seven o'clock, but it was dark outside. The full moon shone in from the window, eerily casting a shaft of light across Rae's N64, it's violet game controller, and a gold game cartridge. The title on the hologram of the game read: The Legends of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Rae stared at the picture, expressionless. 

She wanted to go back. Leaving the game had been a mistake, she knew. A deep wanting, a deep aching within her called out and screamed and yelled at her for her decision. _Link, _it whispered. _Link was the best friend that you ever had! Sheik, Sheik was the love you never had! He's your soul mate…_

Rae picked up the game with careful fingers, putting it gently into the N64. Turning on the TV and starting the game, she stared at the opening titles. She'd played this game with just as much skill as the last, defeating the final boss, Majora, with just as much ease as she had Ganon in Ocarina of Time. Sure, Majora's third form was a bitch to beat, but still…

Rae sighed a third time, starting a new game in her own name. She blankly watched the opening animation, eyes riveted on the form of the 10-year old Link.  Her being in the game-no, reality, more like-was an accident in the first place. She couldn't duplicate the effects. She couldn't go back. Rae knew this because she had tried. It was a fluke, and if it weren't for her eyes, she would have doubted that she had been there at all. 

Her eyes, once a brilliant shade of emerald green, were now glazed with a scarlet sheen. Her friends had commented on how creepy it was, and even at work and home people had begun giving her strange looks. The colors of her eyes were natural, not artificial, or an effect via contacts. She had acquired the change when she was in Hyrule, battling against the beast of the shadows. In seeing and realizing that she was part of the shadows, and that the shadows were a part of her, she gained the eyes of truth. In essence, the ability of a second sight and the ability to see through concealments, and see hidden things. It was a gift unique of the Sheikah. 

Rae didn't sigh again, as she was finally given control of Link in the game. Hopping across the stumps of dead trees, she descended into the darkness of the tunnel. Moving through the area, she finally entered the doorway where she fell to Majora's hideout.  Landing, Rae waited. Then she noticed that the game had frozen. 

The game had frozen. 

Sure that she was dreaming, Rae swirled the joystick once. Link stayed stationary. "Oh gods…" She gently put down the controller. "Oh please be happening…" Reaching over to the N64, she rested her fingers on the reset button. She pressed down. 

A strange ominous click was heard.

Rae gasped, eyes darting to the TV screen as a bright green light flashed across it. A quick wave of heat passed through her, palms tingling, and Rae suddenly felt like she was falling. The room spun in front of her eyes and Rae couldn't suppress a grin that spread across her face. This was it. She was going back. She was really going back. It felt so right. She was going back.

~*~*~*~

When Link regained consciousness, it was early morning. Some type of bird was singing, and if he didn't hurt so much from being thrown into a tree, he would of went back to sleep. 

"Oh! You are awake!" 

Link looked up from his slumped-over position on the ground. Standing with their back to the light, Link couldn't see their face. He recognized the voice, however, and managed a low grumble. He sat up, rubbing his ear with one hand. It burned, and the silver earring handing there was warm to the touch. The tiny blue jewel that hung in it was hot, worse than the silver, itself. "Ow."

"Indeed." Link glanced again at his shadowy commentator. His head tilted curiously at Link, and Link caught a minute glint of crimson. 

_Sheik…of course…_

"I think that something has happened with Rae." Sheik said bluntly, folding long legs as he sat on the ground. 

Link looked sharply at him. "What makes you say that?"

Sheik lightly touched the silver ring on his right hand. "It burns, sudden and terrible. It could be an omen." He squinted at Link. "The horses seem to have ran off."

"Did you follow their trail?"

Sheik nodded. "It led to a cavern entrance, in the side of an ancient tree stump. I did not go inside."

Link stood, dusting himself off, and pulling a few stray leaves out of his hair. Sheik, predicting what he intended to do, led the way, passing through the trees, and stopping in a small clearing. There was a patch of scuffmarks, and then it led into a tunnel that was carved in the base of a tree. They went in, slightly ducking down in the low ceiling. Dust fell from overhead, and there were stray spider-webs clinging to the walls. There was no light, so they moved along slowly.

"By the Eye, will you look at this door?" Sheik said in wonder, as they came to the end of the tunnel. A circular panel barred their way, looming out from the darkness of shadow. "Never have I seen such a pattern as this, before."

"I wonder how it opens…" Link murmured, lightly touching the symbol on the centre of the door. With a swish, it silently slid aside.

They were now in a dimly lit chamber, an identical door was on the opposite side. A small pool divided the room in two. The heroes proceeded inside, cautious. A low, child-like laughter rang out from the gloom.

In one smooth motion, Link drew his sword. Sheik, half a second faster, with no weapon but his own body, was already determining the source of the voice. The laugh sounded again, and a small scarecrow-like child appeared-sitting on air.

"You're awake." The skull kid said.

"What did you do with Epona and Carina?" Link questioned.

The kid shrugged. "You mean your horses? Well, they were disobedient, and frankly…big. I did you a favour and got rid of them."

Sheik's crimson eyes widened at the implication. "What have you done?!"

The skull kid tilted his head and laughed. "What can you do now? Hit me with your little sword? Punch me? Ha!" He stretched in the air. "You see this mask? It makes me more powerful than the both of you together!" The skull kid cackled, a nimbus of energy surrounding his outstretched arms. The evil power gathered in one hand and he pointed at Link. 

Link and Sheik sprang apart, facing the skullkid from opposite sides of the room. 

"Hey! That's not fair!" The kid said, he pointed up another ball and threw it. 

A swirl of light appeared in the room, collecting on the ceiling. It was green in color, ever-changing and silent. It shivered and threw out a body before blipping out of existence. The figure landed ontop of Link and Sheik, putting a halt to their retreat of the violet blast. The two men only had a second to realize who it was before they were sent into a world of pain. 

"Rae?" They chorused. 

The blast struck mostly Rae, whose body was in front of the Hylian and the Sheikah. Instead of dying, like what was had expected, it edged around her body, covering her and then covering Link and Sheik. Crying out in unison, they collapsed against each other. It was terrible and it hurt like nothing else had ever hurt before. It was 3 seconds of burning, freezing, falling and floating. When they opened their eyes, it was strange.

:: Rae? ::

:: Rae! :: Said Link. :: Then it is you! ::

"Darn right." Rae said, looking around. "Where are you?"

The skull kid giggled and she looked up at him. "He-he!" He crowed. "Look! Look at yourself!"

Rae groaned inwardly. That was not a good sign. If it meant what she thought it meant, then it couldn't possibly be good. She walked to the ponds edge. Then she groaned aloud. She was a Deku scrub. 

:: Why are you doing this? :: Link yelled, although it failed to echo in the room. :: Hey! I'm talking to you! ::

Rae backed away from the haunting image, silently talking. :: Link, he can't hear you. ::

:: Why not? :: Link responded. 

"Surprised?" The skull kid said in a rising voice. "Wondering where your friends are? He-he! You don't know, do you? Ha-ha!" He started to float backwards out of the room, his two faeries following him.

:: No! :: Sheik said suddenly, from wherever he was. :: Follow him! ::

:: I am! Keep your shirt on! :: Rae jumped. Light enough to jump on water; she hopped to the other side.

"Stop him!" The skull kid demanded. A yellow faerie barred Rae's way. Had she been her normal size, Rae could have batted the offending dust-ball out of the way, but right now she was a little Deku scrub. The door closed behind the skull kid and the yellow faerie suddenly turned. 

"Hey! Wait for me!" The creature turned in mid-air to look at Rae. "Don't just stand there!" The faerie demanded. "Open the door!"

"And why should we, Tinkerbell?" Rae shot back, using her favourite insult for faeries. Link groaned. Rae had a really low tolerance for faeries… even if they did eventually turn out to be nice.

"Because that's my brother!" She replied, light burning brightly. "And they didn't mean to leave me behind!"

"But he did, and he won't come back for you." 

:: What are you doing? :: Sheik wondered. 

"Yes he will!" The faerie seemed to sigh. "Look, if you help me, then I'll tell you what happened to your two friends, okay?"

"Fine." Rae said. "But first things first; I'm the girl. The two guys are—" She bit her lip, stopping her speech. "Er…gone." She didn't want Tatl to know just yet that she had…superior knowledge. 

"Not gone." The faerie said. "I'm Tatl. Just open the door, will you?"

"How do I know you'll keep your word?"

:: Why are you arguing with her? :: The Sheikah asked again

:: She should! She doesn't know if we can trust her! :: Link added his two cents in an irritated voice.

Tatl tittered in a frustrated manner. "FINE! You three got transformed into a Deku scrub. Happy now?"

:: We were what? :: Link blurted. Rae relayed this. 

"Turned into a De-ku scr-ub. One." Rae purposely stared blankly at her. Tatl fumed, shaking angrily in the air. "They're in that body with you!!" She yelled. "YOU got control 'cuz you were mostly hit by the blast!! DO_YOU_UNDERSTAND?!?!?"

Rae snickered inwardly; never had she met a faerie that could get herself so worked up, and that had included Navi. It was quiet amusing, really. She loved annoying the hell out of faeries. Besides, she had a reason this time; she was getting revenge on Tatl for stopping their pursuit of the Skull Kid. Well, that was her excuse… 

Rae could hear the sterness in Sheik's thought. :: Rae, quit toying with her! ::

:: Fine…ruin my fun… :: Rae waved a hand to indicate she got Tatl's point. 

:: Did you see this coming? :: Link asked Rae.

:: Sort of, but not really. :: Rae silently pressed the symbol on the centre of the door. Tatl flew by, bobbing in the air. 

"So I was right?" She asked.

"Yes." Rae said shortly as the door closed behind her. She then waited.

The faerie flittered nervously. "Um…look, can I stay with you for a while?" 

"Sure." 

:: What?! :: Link exclaimed

:: Rae! :: Protested Sheik

The faerie was also startled at her simple agreement. "S-sure?" One minute she was making fun of Tatl, the next, she was gladly inviting her to come with her? 

"What?" Rae said. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Well, yes, but I didn't think—" 

"Now see, that's your problem right there."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean!?"

Rae started down the hallway, scurrying along as Tatl bobbed behind her. 

:: What are you thinking? She's collaborating with the enemy! :: Link was still against the yellow faerie.

:: I have to agree with Link on this one. She is the Skull Kid's friend…how can we trust her? :: Sheik, of course, provided a thought of reason.

:: By trusting me. :: Retorted Rae. :: She's not all that bad, you know. She's just a faerie that hasn't realized that her buddy is a mean kid who has control of a very dangerous mask. Anyway, a faerie is always helpful to have around. ::

:: Why do I get the feeling that you aren't telling us everything? :: Link's thought was sarcastic. :: You _hate _faeries. ::

:: Meh… :: She pressed the symbol on the centre of the next door that they came to. Suddenly they were not in a passage made of wood. They were at the foot of a metal staircase that led up to another floor. The sound of a pipe organ played in the background, and there was a collective shudder in Rae's mind. It reminded the two men of Gannon's instrument of choice. Rae climbed the stairs, and onto the next floor. A man sat at the pipe organ, playing the big thing with vigour. 

"Oh! Hello!" He turned. 

:: That's the owner of the Happy Mask Shop!! :: Link clamoured.

Tatl made a noise and fluttered behind Rae's back.

Rae stared at him. He was even scarier in person than in the game. With his brightly colored clothes, and matching hair, they only served as an addition to the strange grin that was plastered on the man's face. "You've met a terrible fate, haven't you?" Rae didn't say anything. "I used to own a mask shop, back in Hyrule, but now I travel in search of more masks to add to my collection. An important mask was stolen from me." He glanced sidelong at her. "Don't think me rude, but I've been following you. I know of a way to return you to your former selves."

"How?" Rae asked, feeling that it was expected of her.

The man shook his head. "If you can get the precious item that was stolen from you, then I can turn you back. All I ask in exchange…"He paused. "…Is that you get back my mask back from that _imp_."

"Okay." Rae turned to leave.

:: That's it? :: The Hylian said bluntly.

:: Aren't you going to ask him anything more? ::

:: What else can he tell me? :: There was no answer, and she went out the door.

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*Looks around nervously* Okay, I know that this is a little different and whatnot, but I am hoping that this isn't too hard to read. I added the colors (I hope they show) and I think that makes it easier to understand. Does it? If not, or if it's only more confusing and cluttered, then you **have** to tell me! The transforming thing is a difficult thing to get around in this game, so I had to compensate. Does it work? *Frets anxiously* Please tell me. And be honest! If it doesn't work, then I'll figure something out! Ack, the untested-ness of it all!

Oh, this has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but I found "Gannon" in a name book and it's meaning was "little blonde one." Ha. Just a little something for your amusement. ;)

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	3. A Weapon and a Promice of Friendship

Chapter Two: A Weapon and a Promise of Friendship

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Sheik: OracleVortex doesn't own anything to do with Zelda. Nothing. Zip. 

Link: * sigh *

Sheik: _Now_ what's wrong with you?

Link: I totally angsty in this fic!! It's depressing!!

Sheik: {rolls eyes}

Link: IT IS!

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Rae sat on the bridge, her legs hanging off of the edge. She stared down at her reflection, blinking with beetle-black eyes. 

:: Rae… :: The girl heard Sheik's voice, soft with concern.

She didn't reply. 

:: Rae, don't worry, You – we'll get back to normal :: It was Link this time, sensing what the Sheikah was trying to do. 

:: I know. :: Rae replied, not bothering to speak aloud; she knew that they would both hear her. 

:: …You do? :: Sheik was only slightly surprised. After all, he already knew the reason behind Rae's new knowledge. 

:: We have to go up to the clock tower on the 3rd night and fight the skull kid. ::

:: Like this? :: Link glared at their image through Rae's eyes. :: We're a Deku scrub ::

:: If she says we will, we will…have faith, Link :: Sheik reassured the Hero. 

:: Faith. :: Link snorted silently. :: Right. ::

"Uh, excuse me!" 

Rae looked around. "Hello?"

"Up here.'' 

She followed the voice and saw a small cage hanging from the tree. Inside was a small glow of light, in the form of a faerie. "Could you help me? I can't escape."

Rae stood, scratching her head. "I'd like to, but I'm a little short…"

"Can you climb up here?" The faerie asked.

"Don't think so."

Tatl appeared. "Hey! Let me try!" She floated up to the small cage and circled it. "Look! There's a latch on top!" Tatl bumped against the cage several times, trying to knock it open. On the fourth hit, the cage tumbled free and into Rae's awaiting hands. She fumbled with her thick, wood-like fingers, but managed to unstick the latch. The faerie floated free.

"Thank-you!" It said, swirling around her. "As a reward for helping me, I'll take you to the Great Faerie!" 

"Great Faerie?" Tatl said excitedly. "Wow! What a honor!' 

The other pixie started to leave. "Follow me!" Rae did so, going through South Clock Town, running quickly past the dog and into North Clock town. The faerie hovered before a wall of ivy near the town exit. 

"Now what?" Rae asked, recognizing the first of probably many differences between the game and the reality.

"Climb up." Rae again followed her instructions, pulling herself up onto the ledge with some difficulty. There was a cave at the top, with stairs leading down. She went in. Soon they came to a large fountain, pillars and small pool not unlike the healing pools of Hyrule. The faerie joined those who were gathered there. A great light flashed and a larger faerie appeared, whose form was relatively Hylian (or Termian). Link, who, along with Sheik, was watching from inside Rae's body, was reminded of the Great Faeries that he had once met. 

Tatl bobbed in the air- a movement equal to bowing. "Great Faerie – it's a honor."

The large, supernatural, being smiled at the faerie. "Welcome. I thank you both for saving my servant. I had been worried by her sudden disappearance." The great faerie sat in mid-air. "What, may I ask, are your names?"

Tatl fluttered excitedly. "I'm Tatl, this is Rae."

The Great Faerie examined her critically. Shrinking to a more manageable size, she placed one hand on Rae's forehead. She jerked away, her eyes wide. "You poor children." She said sympathetically. "The skull kid did this to you, didn't he?"

Rae nodded. "He only meant to change one of us."

:: How did she know? :: Sheik inquired. 

Link answered for him.  :: I don't know. :: 

The Great Faerie shook her head. "Unbelievable." She sighed. "That mischievous child is causing so much trouble. There are even rumours that the moon will fall in three days!"

"Will it, Great Faerie?" Tatl asked.

"I don't know." She said. "I can feel an evil lurking in Termia. The rumour may yet be true." She turned to look at Rae again. "I wish I could help you, but to separate the three of you is beyond my healing power. Here, take this." A long thin rod appeared in her hand. "It isn't much, but I sense that you may need it."

"What is it?" Rae inquired.

"It is a blow gun." The Great Faerie explained. "If you take a Deku seed and blow it through one end, it can hurt an enemy. Come back and see me when you have been returned to your former state. I will have something to give you."

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The last chapter was really long, so this one is really short. Blah. You got three chapters out of me anyway, so what are you complaining?

See you in chap 3!

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	4. Loop One: The First Three Days

Chapter Three: The First Three Days

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Yeah, so I own nothing. Blah on you. Rae is mine, Sheik's personality is a creation of my own, and all irregular happenings are borne of my irregular mind. Lol. 

                Also, the symbols that indicate thought that can be heard by all has changed to * … * Meh. 

                Oh, and I would like to thank canihavea-soda, who pointed out that I spelt 'Termina' as 'Termia.' Thank you for that correction!

                And I've changed the format of the paragraphs. Is this better or worse?

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                Rae stopped rather abruptly as she crashed face-first into a towering mass. She looked up and saw the distant face of a large man. She blinked, and recognized it as Mutoh, the leader of the carpenters.  She had met him before, back in Hyrule, but she doubted that he could recognize her know. Rae would have been surprised if he had been able to. 

                "Ho-ho! Careful there, young one." Mutoh said. "As small as you are, I could have squished you!"

                Rae skipped backwards meekly. "Sorry about that."

                The man grinned down at her. "That's all right, little sprite. Say—what's your name?" 

                "Rae."

                He smiled, looking a little puzzled with this bit of information. "I once met a woman who was called the same name." He grinned. "She saved my son's lives. My name is Mutoh. These carpenters are my sons." He indicated the four other men hammering and nailing at a large platform. "When we're finished, it will be as tall as the clock tower! Four stories!" He smoothed the front of his vest. "Best work we've done yet, and that includes a bridge over a valley!" 

                * Nice bridge it was, too. * Link commented dryly. The bridge had been built after he and Rae had saved Mutoh's sons from the Gerudos of the desert. 

                "I'm sure it'll be magnificent." Rae said politely. "If you excuse me, I have to go to East Clock Town."

                The man smiled, eyes lighting up as he hear the name of her destination. "East Clock Town, you say?" He scratched his head thoughtfully. "Would you mind doing me a favour?" 

                Rae stared up at him. "Sure…why not…"

~*~*~*~

                "Thanks again for the grub, little Deku!" Mutoh waved as Rae walked away. "I owe you one, my friend."

                Rae waved back as she moved around the base of the tower, entering the northern part of town. Padding in the dirt, she was surprised to note that it felt good on her bare feet. The sunlight streaming down from the sky sent tingling tremors up her spine, and a slight wind in the trees rustled leaves that made words appear in her mind. Suddenly her mind was wondering if the trees themselves had souls, and if they had voices and opinions. Rae could hear voices…were the trees talking?

                * Of course they are. * Link said, voice amused. * Trees are people too, you know. They live and grow and die on this world. *

                * Well, excuse me. * Rae said. * How did you know what I was thinking? * 

                * I…don't know… * Link sounded perturbed. * I just…knew? *

                * Perhaps it is because her thoughts were forming words. * Sheik mused. * I think that when we are thinking in unformed images and words, our thoughts are private… or something…perhaps it's because of us being in a bond? No…link? No…well…connection…maybe…yes… *

                * Wow…you talk a lot more in your thoughts, than in real life… * Rae teased. 

                * What? Oh…I see…ah…well… *

                * Stop forming words, Sheik. * Link advised.  * I think you may be right with your theory…even if it is…um…cluttered… *

                Rae laughed aloud, twirling under the shade of the tree. The Great Faerie's cave was visible out of the corner of her eye, the vines leading up to it doing a good job of concealing it. Sheik and Link were babbling in her mind, and Rae kicked at a pile of leaves. It was so…different…

                "Hey. Deku." A voice came from overhead. Rae, surprised, tumbled to the ground, lying flat on her back. "What's your name?" Rae tilted her head to get a better look at the young boy sitting in the braches of the tree. He was wearing blue pants and a white and blue shirt bearing a Terminan symbol on the chest. Orange-brown hair was held back by a red bandana, and green eyes glittered down at them. He jumped down, landing soundlessly on cloth-shoed feet. "I'm Jim."

                "H-hi." Rae sat up, quickly getting to her feet. "I'm Rae."

                Jim tilted his head. "Strange name for a Deku." Rae shrugged. "But you aren't an average Deku, are you?"

                Rae blinked at him, patting down leaf-like hair. "What do you mean?" 

                The boy, probably no more than seven, shrugged. "Forest folk are interested in nothing but business, their royalty, and their own kind." He peered at her. "I saw you willingly help the carpenters. You didn't even ask for a reward."

                Rae shrugged again. "It happens."

                "Not really." Jim crossed his small arms. "We had problems with forest folk…recently. A skull kid." Jim sighed, rubbing his eyes in a gesture that made him seem years older than he was. "He's brought a lot of trouble to Clock Town. This is my town and he messed everything around." Jim's voice had a bitter cast to it. And young eyes were troubled by troubles he shouldn't even be aware of.

                * There is something different about this child… * Sheik noted, a frown in the words. * He feels…older…somehow… *

                "I know what you mean." Rae muttered.

                "Pardon?" Jim asked, looking at her. 

                She shook her head. "Nothing. Is there something you wanted?"

                Jim nodded, hands disappearing into his pockets.  "I thank you for helping the people of my town. I pride myself on order, and yet there is none." He pulled out a small jewel from his pocket. It was blue and white, dangling on a thread of black. "I want you to join my gang. I can see that you are a good person…for a forest folk."

                * He says that as if it were a bad thing… * Link said irritably. Unbidden, Saria's song rose in Rae's mind. She pushed it away, taking the extended jewel. 

                "What's this for?" Rae asked. 

                Jim smiled. "You'll find that in Termina, jewels are very important. This is a membership-type jewel. Only the Bombers have one. It gets you into all of the Bomber hideouts and areas." The boy waved his hands. "The Bombers are my group. We uphold peace and order for the good of the people." Pride gleamed on Jim's face. "I welcome you as an honorary member. Let me show you the main hideout." 

                His youthful energy intrigued Rae, and she followed him gladly. Skipping past a small play structure, Jim led her into East Clock Town, winding through houses to stop at a narrow alleyway. 

                "Who goes there?" A young, higher, voice called out. "Identify yourself!" 

                Jim stood tall, hands planted firmly on hips. "It's me, Alvin. Come out for a second."

                An even smaller boy appeared, bright eyes colored brown, and tuffs of vivid red hair sticking out from under a yellow bandana. "Oh. Hi Jim." He looked past the taller boy to squint at Rae. "Who's that?"

                Jim jerked a thumb in her general direction. "Rae. Honorary member."

                "Ah... Jim…"

                "What?"

                "She's…um…forest folk…"

                Jim nodded, green eyes glittering dangerously. "I know…trust me on this, okay?" Alvin sighed. "Good. Gather the men – we all sleep here tonight, get it?"

                "Okay, Jim."

                "Thanks Kid." Jim flicked Alvin's bangs as he went by, motioning for Rae to follow. "Come on!"

                Rae went after the Bomber, skidding down the abruptly slanted alley, and into a tall, narrow tunnel. Inside was a large, dark chamber, several torches lighting the room. There were two doorways opposite them, one curtained off by an embroidered sheet, and the other yielding to the sound of dripping water. Jim paused to let her look around, and then moved on, down the open tunnel. 

                Rae then found herself walking down a sewer like tunnel, water dripping from above. She skirted the edges of the narrow path, avoiding the sickly colored water that glugged by. They went this way for a little while, and Jim suddenly pushed her against the wall, avoiding a long, dry platform.

                "Trap." He explained. "To keep out unwanted…visitors."

                Rae glanced upwards, seeing only a thick system of cobwebs stretched over a large square space in the ceiling.

                * Skulltula. * Link and Sheik chorused, hearing a low rustling at the same time. 

                Another doorway came into sight, and they padded through a room full of boxes, tables and papers to reach a ladder at the other side. "Records and storage." Jim supplied. They went on. 

                * Where is he taking us? * Sheik wondered. As if hearing the silent inquiry, Jim spoke again, this time, holding open a bright blue door. "There we are… the observatory."

                Rae gasped, and it echoed twice in her mind. She was standing in a dome, the roof many, many times her normal height. The walls shimmered and shifted, and seemed not to be walls at all. It would have been more accurate to call them curtains of water. Still following Jim, Rae climbed a long, metal, spiralling stairwell that led to a suspended platform. At the top, Rae came face-to-face with an elderly man. 

                "Why hello Jim." He said. "Back so soon?" He peered at Rae. "Who's this? Are you a new friend of the Bombers?"

                Rae bowed slightly. "Yes, I am."

                The elderly man chuckled.  "You are much more polite than that other forest one." He stepped back. "This is a telescope. It allows you to gaze at distant objects or people. Will you look into the telescope?"

                Rae glanced at Him. He nodded. Getting up on her toes, she looked in. The first thing she saw was the Clock Tower. 

                * We're outside the city! * Link said. 

                Jim was hovering over he shoulder. "The tunnels we just went through is an escape route through the city. Only the Bombers know about it. It's faster than using the gates and crossing the land, too."

                * Impressive. * Sheik said admiringly. Rae conveyed this as she tilted the telescope lens. "Oh my…"

                "What?" Jim looked. "Oh, it's him…"

                Rae took a step backwards. Majora was on top of the tower, mocking them like he had in the game. The fellow would have been cute, except for the fact that his mask had eyes that glowed an animalistic yellow. At this happening, Jim became silent, and he led her back through the tunnels in which they had come from before. This time, Jim stopped her, digging through several boxes in the storeroom. 

                "Aha!" He pulled a small case into view, opening it and revealing the shining contents. "This is for you, as well.." He handed her the jewel. "It's a Moon's Tear. I assume you've heard of it?"

                Rae turned the jewel over in her hands carefully. "Gods above, Jim, I can't take this…"

                Jim closed her hands over the jewel. "You already have."          

~*~*~*~

                Rae made sure not to stumble as she walked across the wooden planks of the Clock Tower base. The small dog appeared out of the corner of her eye, and she was careful not to grab its attention. The little dog could have easily been picked up and dropped in the water by her normal self, but again she was reminded that she was not herself. 

                "Hey! You! Get away from there!" Rae started, glancing up in time to jump out of the way of a Deku Merchant. He dived into the flower and popped up. "This is my private property, so don't bother using it!"

                "I wasn't going to!" Rae said, backing away.

                * How rude. * Sheik commented. 

                "Right." The merchant said in an 'I don't believe you' manner. "Look, if you're going to stop here, at least buy something. I'm selling Deku seeds, twelve pieces for ten rupees."

Rae waved a hand. "Ah…no thanks."

"Then leave, will you?" The Deku said crossly. "You're holding up business!" 

Rae shrugged, mildly irritated by his attitude. * Jim was right. They only care about business…*

* To each their own, I guess… * Link said.

Rae tilted her head innocently. "Well, I guess that you aren't interested in trade either…" She casually polished the moon's tear on her chest. "I don't want this little bauble, and since you don't either…I'll just go put it back where I found it…"

The merchant's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Is that…is that--!"

Rae grinned – or something close to it. "A moon's tear, my friend. Want it?"

"Want it?!" The merchant bounced up and down. "What do you want for it?" 

"Your flower and the land title for it." Rae said in her best business voice. She shimmered the stone in the light carefully. "Final offer."

The Deku make a squeaking noise, but pulled out a rolled parchment. Signing it, he pushed it at Rae. Rae tossed the jewel at the Deku, who almost dived for it. It wasn't long before the Deku was packed up and gone, gleefully going on about his Mrs. 

* You drive a hard deal… * Sheik said, surprised. 

* Yeah, well… * She looked up at the clock tower. * Now we can get in. *

~*~*~*~

                They spent that night with the bombers, hidden away in a smaller room of the sewer area. It was still comfortable, and whatnot, despite the fact that she was lying in a mixture of hay, feathers and blankets. The Bombers had collected in their hideout around noon, watching Rae suspiciously as they ate lunch. Jim vouched for her, but Rae suspected that the Bombers were less forgiving than Jim was. 

                There were five in all, including Jim and Alvin. The quiet one was Peter, a blue bandana folding over brown hair, and sharp intelligence shining in lavender eyes. His opposite, Mac was a blonde with grey eyes, orange bandana reflecting his trickster personality. The last was Patrick, a serious boy who was an outrageous flirt and charmer. He had black hair and matching bandana for green eyes. They spoke with a thoughtful tone, the slang of children all but non-existent. 

                Sheik was unusually talkative, while Link was strangely quiet. Jim had been sharing information about the town, the Bombers, and anything else that Rae thought to ask about.

                "Why are you being so helpful to me?" Rae asked, after a pause in explanation. "I thought you hated forest folk."

                Jim examined his fingers. "I think you can help me, Rae." He looked up. "You can help all of the Bombers."

                "With what?"

                "How old do you think we are?"

                Rae raised an eyebrow. "I don't know…eight? Ten, maybe?"

                Jim shook his head. "I just turned nineteen last month. Alvin? He's fourteen."

                "What? But…"

                "The skull kid did a whole lot more than just mess things up around here. He made us all younger."

                "Like Kafei?" Rae asked,

                "Yes, like Ka—" He looked at her. "How do you know about Kafei?"

                Rae shrugged. "I just do…" She paused. "What makes you think that I can help you?" 

                "I know that you are…different." He fiddled with his bandana. "I know that you can help us somehow."

                "This isn't something that can be healed, Jim." Rae said, after some prompting from Sheik. 

                "I know…but maybe you can find another way…"

~*~*~*~

                The next day it rained, and Rae spent the long, pleasantly wet hours frolicking in the rain and meeting as many people as she could. The juggler twins, who she found out where named Marcus and Jean LeBeau, were quite good at their choice of entertainment, and Rae found herself watching them throw the colored balls back and forth for at least two hours. They didn't seem to be affected by the weather, nor the moon looming down at them. 

                "We're practicing for the big carnival." Marcus had said. "It happens once in a blue moon!" 

                Jean grinned, shaking dripping locks out of his eyes. "Or, in this year's case, once in a really, really scary, red-eyed moon!"

                They had bantered back and forth for a while, but just as Rae had to leave, Marcus went slightly serious. "We're entertainers…we must keep people smiling, no matter how grim things get."

                "We must always remain optimistic." Jean added, crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue.  

                Rae's next stop was the Stock Pot Inn, where she met the Rosa Sisters, Marilla and Judo. Both were deep in thought, and didn't seem to hear Rae when she tried to capture their attention. Guru-Guru, the organ grinder, apologized for them, putting out a tune that could only be described as slightly too perky.

                Doneia, a slightly familiar face, was the old lady that resided in the room next to the kitchen. In the game, she had been considered Anju's grandmother, but in all actuality, she was just the Sheikah healer that lived under Anju's care. Unfortunately, in the passing of the years, Doneia's mental health seemed to have degraded. It was sad really, and Rae couldn't stay in the room for too long. Sheik, who had known her for almost all his life, and had learned from her, went strangely tearful. His thoughts had no words, but just raw grief. 

                * Another Sheikah, lost… * He sighed, once he was able to think straight again. * Years of herbal and healing knowledge lost… *

                Link and Rae couldn't think of anything to say, and only projected comfort at the man. Link's came in the images of leaves and forest folk, while Rae's took on forms like hugs, teddy-bears and fuzzy blankets. 

                The night came, and Rae hunkered down in one of the Bomber Hideouts. The stars glimmered down at her in the night, and her stomach dropped as she realized what would happen the next day.

                * Majora… *

~*~*~*~

                The next day acted as somewhat of a vigil, and Rae didn't move from her spot atop the platform of the Clock Tower. The door was closed, yes, but she sat there anyway. She watched as the inhabitancies of the town went about, some as normal, the rest fleeing into the country. The carpenters where down to two, still striving to build the tower. The Postman, whom Rae was pleased to find that his name was Pat, went about according to schedule. He was obviously apprehensive about the coming of tomorrow, but was ridiculously restrained by words on a timeline. The little dog had left with Anju and her family, and by midnight, everything had gone eerily quiet. 

                The sound of the door opening was the only sound in the square, and Rae could almost hear her feet thumping on the wood stairs leading to the top. It was a fifteen-minute climb; seeing as she was a short Deku scrub, and she was winded at she stepped out into the open. 

                "So…" The skull kid said slowly, sitting casually in the air. "You've returned…made it here…"

                "Give it back." Rae said lowly. "It's rightfully ours."

                * What are you talking about? * Link asked. * Give what back? *

                * 'The precious item that was stolen from you.' * Sheik said suddenly. * Of course…what the Salesman said… *

                Majora watched as Rae was strangely silent. "Talking to your friends, are you? It'll be your last conversation, I fear." He tossed a small object into the air, catching it and tossing it up again. It was the Ocarina of Time.

                * When did he snag that? * Link exclaimed. 

                Tatl, for the first time in a long time, appeared in the air. "Skull Kid, this isn't like you!" She spotted her brother. "Tael!"

                The violet glow bounced into sight. "Swamp, mountain, ocean, canyon. Those who are there – bring them here!"

                Majora batted the faerie out of the way. "Quiet!" He turned his glowing eyes back to Rae. "If you think you can stop me, then do it!" Reaching to the sky, he gave a strangled cry, and a violet-gold light surrounded him. Great thunder shook the tower, and the moon started to draw undeniably closer. 

                * Farore's Wind… * Link said softly.

                * By the Eye… * Sheik said in horror.

                "Let's do this…" Rae murmured, quickly pulling out the seed shooter that she had gotten from the Great Faerie.

                "What are you—" Majora glanced Rae's way. She blew a seed at him, hitting his wrist sharply, and his grip slipped. "No--!" The ocarina dropped from his hand, and clattered to the floor below. Rae was already in action, scurrying across the floor to snatch the instrument up. Majora snarled at her, glaring as she grasped the small instrument. "Oh, well…no loss." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It's but a toy."

                "Toy, my ass…" Rae muttered. 

                * I don't think that we can use it in our current condition. * Sheik said. * How is it to help us? *         

                * Ask the Goddesses! * Link suggested. * Call to the Goddess of Time to help you! *

                Majora leered at them. "It won't help you." He indicated the moon. "And I will be the only one to survive the destruction!"          

                Rae stepped back a step, cradling the ocarina in both hands. _Oh, Goddess of Time, I know that you watch right now…please…help us… Or this land…and perhaps the world…will die.._ She thrust the Ocarina out in front of her. "Goddess!"

                A blue aura arose around her, swathing her in light, and encasing her in a navy jewel. Rae instinctively panicked, remembering her last experience in such a cage. Sheik's voice was in her mind, reassuring her. The world dissapeared outside of the jewel, and another voice could be heard in the midst of the transportation. 

                "_Fear not, Pawns of Time. I hear thy dismay, and shall grant thee passage through my woven lands. If thou wish to travel as such again, thou of the Eye shall know the way. Save thy peoples, and claim thy forms again. Thou serve me, and I charge thee with the survival of these lands. Go back, and they shall go back with thee. Be wary of the future, but also be wary of the past. We shall meet again…" _

                And then everything went dark. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Originally, this was only going to be the first three days, but it ended up to be shorter than what I had expected. So I added the battle against Majora. 

I apologise for the short length of each 'scene' but it was necessary, if not choppy. This was a difficult thing to write, considering my hard drive blew, and I lost everything. Everything, dammit! Sorry. Anyway, I apologise for the delay, and I will get back on top of all my started fics out there as soon as I can. 

Love ya lots, 

OV

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	5. The Way It Was

Chapter Four: The Way It Was

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with the Legends of Zelda or any related stuff. Rae Thomas is mine, however. 

I thank you all for waiting this long… As someone reminded me, it has been at least three months since I've updated. It's just that I've been busy with the end of school, and finals and whatnot. I haven't been able to get much written… However, with the beginning of summer, I hope that I will be able to update more often. I apologise for taking so long, but the simple thing is… I'm a slacker. ^__^;; Simple as that. I'm a slacker and I like to sleep. Sleep gooooood…. 

Anyway, here's the next chapter for you all. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With a blazing flash Rae felt a peculiar tearing in her mind. Falling down on hands and knees, she screamed silently. Shoulders pulled, muscles stretched, and she was almost sick as she felt fingers appear on longer, slimmer hands. Two others soon joined her ragged breathing, a thick gasp ringing in three tones. The Ocarina of Time clattered to the ground, all but forgotten.

"There." The Happy Mask Salesman said in a satisfied voice. "You can keep the mask…it will let you change back, should you need to…" He dropped a wood mask into Sheik's lap. It was of an average size, with slanted eyeholes and a narrow mouth. Colored leaves stuck out of the top and it glowed faintly. "Now…give me what was promised."

Rae sank back on the ground, tiredly looking up at the man. "I don't have it."

The smile on his face froze, suddenly strained. "You…don't…have it?"

"No. Not yet."

A face of fury arose, eyes flaring dangerously, expression taking on an almost demonic cast. "Not yet? Do you know what that mask is?" He turned on her. "If you leave my mask out there, something terrible will happen! It is called Majora's Mask!" The man fidgeted uncertainly. "It contains a dark power, evil and great…a tribe used it in hexing rituals…they feared it and cast it into shadow… The ancient tribe hasn't been heard from since then. They merely disappeared." The man looked at Rae slyly, a twinkle in his eye. "But I feel it. I went to great lengths to obtain it…and now…that _imp_ has it." His eyes clouded over. "That blasted _imp_…"

Rae shifted slightly, and the Happy Mask Salesman turned his attention to her. In a movement that was swifter than she would have thought it would be, he jerked Rae to her feet by her shirt collar. "That _imp_ cannot have it! You must get it back!"

"Put her down!" Link was pushing the Happy Mask Salesman away as Sheik pulled Rae from his grasp. 

"The world will end!" The man gibbered. "You must get it back!"

Rae stepped back hesitantly. "We will. Give us time."

He glanced at her with blood shot eyes. "Time is something none of us have." Turning away, he went back to the pipe organ, randomly pressing the keys in a restless motion. 

Unnerved, the three heroes staggered out of the clock tower. Rae, smoothing out her hair, couldn't help but let out a squeak as she was swept up in a giant hug. Her hands splaying against a firm chest, and lips pressed to her own. She tasted a hint of exotic spice and relaxed, realizing who it was. After a moment she pulled away, looking up into crimson eyes with her own scarlet-emerald orbs.

"Ai, I've missed you…" Sheik murmured, long-fingered hand darting through Rae's blue-black locks. "You haven't changed and yet I am struck by your very presence."

Rae smiled, tracing a thin line on Sheik's jaw line. It was a scar, pale and indistinct, barely visible. "It's been two years, Sheik."

"It seems like more." The Sheikah replied fondly. 

Rae looked up at Sheik, noting their difference in height had expanded from two to four inches. Sheik wore his hair short and loose, unhindered by a cap or wrap. His familiar face was more defined, the jaw stronger, a tan darker. Pale eyelashes fluttered, and Rae felt herself drawing undeniably closer. 

"Hey!"

Sheik and Rae jerked apart, startled by the sudden appearance of a glowing yellow orb. Rae, brow knitting, glared up at the faerie. "'Hey' yourself." She growled, eyes wandering to whom Tatl was floating in front of. "Link...!"

The Hylian had his gaze fixed on the ground, where he was tracing the cobblestones with the toe of his boot. He wore white pants and gauntlets, but no hat. The Kokiri tunic had been cast aside for a shirt in the same color. A faint flush hi-lighted his fair features, and sapphire eyes flicked back and forth. "Ah…hello Rae." He allowed a small smile. 

The girl enveloped him in an enthusiastic hug. "Link! Sorry, it's just—"

Link hurriedly waved a hand. "So I see. What are you doing back?" Rae stopped, taken aback by his abrupt bluntness. Link must have realized how it sounded, and amended. "I mean, it's just so sudden…"

"Um…" Rae rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess…I had another vision."

"Did you?" Sheik's arm wound its way around Rae's waist. 

"Ah-yes…" She sank into the contact, frowning thoughtfully as she noticed the shadow passing through Link's eyes. Was there something wrong? She opened her mouth to ask, but again a flying bit of light interrupted her. 

"Look, I don't really understand…you know each other?" Tatl buzzed around, peering into Rae's face. "And you're what? An oracle?"

Rae batted at the faerie, fighting the urge to snarl. Link answered while she was busy. "We're friends. Rae has visions. Sheik is the leader of the Sheikah. I am…" He hesitated. "…A warrior."

Tatl bounced around rapidly. "Well then… Remember that we have to go to the Great Faerie?" She left dust in the air. "Remember, hey? Hey?"

Rae groaned into Sheik's shoulder. "Not another faerie partner…" Sheik patted her back, smiling with good humor.

"You asked her along, remember?"

"Don't remind me…"

~*~*~*~

They stood before the Great Faerie respectfully, Tatl quivering in the folds of Link's shirt. "Great Faerie.." Link said, bowing respectfully. "We've returned."

"Yes." The Great Faerie said, as she rose out of the water. She shrunk in size, peering at the three. "I am glad that you were able to reclaim your forms so quickly." She paused. "Tell me, if you can, what is happening? I thought that I saw you naught but a moment ago – but it appears to be nothing but a dream."

Sheik pressed his palms together in apology. "As strange as it may seem, Great Faerie, but we have been given the power to turn back time. Three days, if I'm not mistaken."

"I see." She murmured thoughtfully. "You have the Ocarina of Time, then?"

"Yes, Great Faerie."

"Then I must give you a word of warning, young ones." The Great Faerie said seriously. "If indeed, you are looping time, take care to remember what has past. For the Goddess of Time cannot erase what has happened; she can only give you the power to go through it again. Be wary of the past, for you and others shall perceive it as the present."

The three of them bowed their heads in silence. 

"One more thing…" The Great Faerie said. "The Skull Child has not only caused grief in Clock Town, but all of Termina. Across the land, I have shrines of healing. If you come across more of my scattered servants, would you please return them home?"

"Oh! Of course we would, my lady!" Tatl chirped, dancing in the air. "No problem! No!"

The Great Faerie smiled. "Then I will give you this." There was a pink glow that filled the small cave, and a soft humming was heard. The light cleared, and the Great Faerie was holding a small jewel in her hand, rose in color, hanging from a white gold chain. "My maidens are quite shy- especially after the Skull Child's offence. Wear this and they will sense the purity of your hearts. It will let them know you wish to help."

"Thank you Great Faerie."

"Goddesses bless, young heroes. If you need healing, only visit one of my shrines."

The three of them left the cave, with Rae being the one wearing the Great Faerie's pendant. She pulled it over her head and tucked it down the front of her shirt. 

"Well." Tatl said, bouncing around Link's head. "What do we do now?" Link opened his mouth to answer her, but she went on. "Hey! I know! Remember what my brother said? 'Swamp, mountain, ocean, canyon; those who are there, bring them here?' I think it has something to do with the four lands that lie within the four compass directions!" She buzzed for a moment. "At least that's what I think it is… I really wish he wouldn't skip important things. Tael always does that."

"Oh gods…" Rae muttered. 

"Well, it does seem like a good idea." Link said. 

Rae nodded. "Sure, but there's something that I want to do first. Let's go find Jim."

They left the cave, quickly making their way across the grass to where Jim's tree was. Sheik stopped, making the other two do the same. "Wait."

"What is it?" Link asked impatiently. "We have things we have to do…"

"What if…" Sheik paused, thinking something over carefully. "Do you recall what the Great Faerie just said? Or what the Goddess of Time said, for that matter? We must be careful in where we tread, in this land. For all we know, we may come face to face with ourselves. It could cause confusion if we didn't meet someone at the right time, or if we met someone before we were supposed to! We have to be careful."

Rae nodded, and Link sighed. "Right…" Link said. "Now let's go talk to that kid."

"But what if we haven't talked to him yet?"

"Actually, Sheik, I don't think it matters, right now…" Rae said. "After all, we met him previously in a Deku body…he probably wouldn't recognize us…"

Sheik blinked. "True…"

Link snatched up the opportunity. "There; nothing to worry about, this time around. Let's go."

At this, he knocked on the stump of Jim's tree. "Jim? Jim, are you around?"

"Who asks?"

"Friends." Rae called up to the hidden boy. "We know of your problem, and wish to help you."

Green eyes could be barely seen. "Do you, now?"

"Jim, we may know of a way to return you and your…" Rae fumbled in her sentence. "…Men, to your proper ages."

"How do you know about that?" Jim demanded, rustling in the treetop. 

Sheik stood beneath the branches. "We mean you no harm. We only wish to right what wrong the Skull Kid has done to your city."

"I can handle it myself."

"If you were your normal size, maybe." Link said bluntly. "I know what it's like to have your body change without warning…to know who you are and not be able to do anything to go back." His gaze clouded over. "We can help you, but only if you can trust us."

There was silence in the tree, but the small boy eventually slid out. "Fine. Who are you?" 

"I am Sheik." The Sheikah said. "This is Link and Rae."

Jim raised an eyebrow, looking at Rae. "Rae?"

"Yes." The girl said. 

Jim crossed his arms, dropping the subject. "So, you think that you can help us? How?"

Sheik and Link peered discreetly at Rae. They had only been playing along with her prompting. Rae leapt to explain. "We cannot heal you—"

"Then what good is—"

"—But," Rae interrupted his interruption, "We _are_ able to ask another to help."

"If you're going to tell me to go to the Great Faerie," Jim said miserably, "Then you're wrong. I've already talked to her. She can't help me."

Rae shook her head. "No. Please, just trust me on this." She motioned to Link. "Play the Song of Time."

Link glanced at her, confused. "But—"

Sheik's eyes lit up. "Ah! Ask the Goddess, Link. He needs to regain lost time!"

Link suddenly understood. "Oh!" He pulled out the Ocarina of Time.

Jim regarded him, unsure. "Does he know what he's doing?"

"You bet." Rae said, smiling as the first few notes of the song drifted into the air. _I hope you can help Jim, Goddess… I don't know of any other way…_

The small bomber was encased in a glowing nimbus of blue light. His eyes widened in amazement as he floating slightly off of the ground. The light surrounded him like an aura, but then became brighter and flowed into him, stretching his limbs and making him squirm. The boy grew taller, blossoming and becoming older. When the light cleared, and Link was putting away his ocarina, Jim was almost taller than Sheik. The wise eyes were properly fitted in a narrow face, and slender hands were lifted before and incredulous gaze.  

Jim nodded gratefully, hands going into his pockets. "Listen…you've helped me, and I know that you will help the rest of my crew, but…" He hesitated. "There's something that you need to know."

"What's that?" Rae asked. 

"I feel that I can tell you this, but only because…" He shook his head. "Never mind. Anyway, I need you to know that I'm a sage."

"What?" Sheik blurted. 

"I'm a sage of Termina." Jim said quickly, glancing around. "If you are indeed able to influnce time by calling on the power of the Goddess of Time, then I am able to trust you. Have you turned back time, once already?"

Rae stared at him. "Can everyone sense this, or something?"

He shook his head. "No. Only the ten sages and supernatural figures I assume the Great Faerie knows of this?"

"Of course she does!" Tatl said irritably. "Nothing gets past the Great Faerie!"

Jim ignored the faerie. "Good. You should know that the first loop is nonexistent."

"Nonexistent?" Link said. "But the Great Faerie said the Goddess could not erase time."

Jim nodded. "She cannot; it appears to have been…well…cut out of Time's fabric entirely."

Sheik gaped at him, shocked. "You must be joking. For a period of time to be spliced from the tapestry is…unheard of! Time is not only effected in this land! If it is cut, then it is cut from all places! All times! It's…" He ran out of words.

Rae patted him on the arm reassuringly. "Time is being turned back for them as well. We're the only ones messing around with it, remember?"

Sheik gave a pained expression. "Please don't say we're 'messing' around with time…"

Jim cleared his throat. "The thing is, time cannot be cut as such, over and over. She may only be able to do it once, and be able to keep it together. If she attempts it again…" He shrugged, eyeing the three people in front of him. "The Goddess must think highly of you to risk the destruction of time."

Rae, Link and Sheik stared at Jim. 

Rae forced down a lump in her throat. "How do you know all of this?"

Jim smiled gently. "The Triforce may not reside in Termina, and none of us may hold the pieces, but the sages of the lands are in contact with each other. Your Princess Zelda is a wise woman."

Sheik looked at him. "You know my sister?"

Jim nodded. "Our minds have come in contact with each other, yes. I knew of the three of you, but it's different than meeting you in person."

Rae snapped her fingers. "Is that how you knew I could help you, when we met when we were a Deku?"

"No." Jim said. "I could just sense that. When we met today, I knew who you all were. If you need my help." He indicated his body. "Especially after this, all you need is to ask."

Link rubbed his chin. "I still don't understand this whole time loop concept."

Jim waved a hand. "It's complicated, and we don't really have the time. Listen, you should go to the swamp. There seems to be trouble there; the water is turning toxic." 

Sheik extended his hand to shake Jim's. "Thank you. After we help your friends, that is where we will head."

Jim grinned. "If you can't find me, or if you need further help, then talk to Francis. He's a bankkeeper in West Clock Town. He is also a Sage."

"There's two in Clock Town?" Rae inquired.

"Hyrule may only need eight Sages, but with the coming of the Skull Kid, we have needed ten. Two are situated here because this is where the Skull Kid is resting."

"Does he notice the time loops?" Link wondered. 

"Perhaps." Jim waved his hands. "But that is nothing to worry about right now. You have other things to do!"

"All right."

"Remember that time now loops. Watch out for overlapping!" Jim warned. "Record it if you can!"

"Um.." The three of them didn't have paper.

Jim mysteriously produced a journal out of nowhere. "Here, use this. It's a Bomber's handbook. It should work just as well."

"Thank y—"

"Time is of the essence!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Someone asked if Link and Rae were going to get together, or if it was just going to be Sheik and Rae. I think it's kind of obvious which I favor, but Link… He seems about to meddle, doesn't he? ::Suspense music:: Heh, heh… I like conflict. 

Luv ya all lots!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	6. A Deku's World

Chapter Five: A Deku's World

Disclaimer: As hard as I try, they absolutely will not let me own the Legends of Zelda. I offered them my left shoe and the contents of my coat pocket, but they wouldn't haggle with me. Darnit. I really wanted to own Japas and Mikau…

Sheik: By the Eye, you _are_ still alive!  
Me: Shut up.  
Sheik: (exaggerated voice) By the Goddesses, we were just about to declare you dead! The insanity, oh the insanity that there is without-  
Me: Shut. UP. (Wields the Pencil of First Drafts) I'll make you live alone for the rest of your life!  
Readers: EX-CUSE US?  
Me: Um… (sheepish look) On with the chapter?  
Sheik: Heh…  
Me: Shut up.

Blast it... the new formatting takes away my astricks... From now on, when they're in the same body, speaking will be underlined. I can't even do my -sigh- thing with astricks anymore... --;; Or that face that should have been there!!! . Now I have to use the ones with the periods! .!!

* * *

With Jim's hurried explanation, Link Sheik and Rae were quickly ushered through the Bomber's Hideout, where they only stopped to heal the five members. Exiting the Observatory, Jim showed them a space where the tall bars came loose.

"In that direction," Jim indicated a path closed in by high shrubbery, "You will find the swampland. There you will find a hedgewitch's hut. She is a Sage. She will help you."

"Thank you, Jim." Sheik said, shaking the tall Bomber's hand. "We won't forget your assistance."

"I wouldn't think so," Jim replied. "We will meet many more times before your journey is over." He moved back into the observatory. "I'm sure of it." He disappeared back into the structure and the three heroes started off. Shuffling through the waist high grass, Rae fidgeted. What was she going to use for a weapon? Her gold staff that she had had in Hyrule was gone…who knows where the hell that went… What else was there?

"Link." Rae said suddenly, as they went onto the path. "Can I borrow your arrows?"

"Sure." The Hero of Time untied the quiver from his belt, handing it to Rae. She threw it over one shoulder, taking the bow as Link handed it to her. "Is there something wrong?"

Rae shook her head. "No. I just don't have a weapon, that's all…"

"Right, we'll need to get you one." Link said. And they went on.

It was nearly as a half hour later when they came within sight of a small hut, raised above the swamp muck. It was on a platform, painted colorfully, with a red and green door. A curl of smoke rose from the chimney, and two cauldrons sat out front, bubbling and churning sluggishly. Rae peered over the rim of one, and was hit full in the face with a waft of what smelled like paprika. It made her eyes water, and she sneezed several times.

Link knocked on the door. In the space of a couple of heartbeats, there was nothing but the sounds of the swamp. He lifted his hand to knock again, but the door simply swung open. The three hesitantly went into the hut, and the door swung shut behind them. They now stood in a dimly lighted room. Incense drifted around the many curtains and beads like ghosts, mingling and imbedding themselves in the décor. Further into the room, the lights of the lanterns dulled, and gave away to shadow. The trio moved further in, footsteps muffled on the embroidered rug.

"Hello?" Link called softly. "We've come to see the hedgewitch…"

"Hmm." An elderly voice sighed from the gloom of the room. "Perhaps someone is in need of healing?"

"No." Rae said. "Thank you, though. Jim said you could help us?"

"Jim?" A figure drew into the light of the lanterns. It was an aged woman, wearing a dark robe with colorful stitching. She motioned for them to come closer, beckoning with deep red fingernails. "Jim sends you, hmm? For what reason?"

"We know you are a Sage." Sheik said bluntly. "If we are to help Termina, you must first help us."

The woman curled bony fingers around Sheik's chin, looking into his face. "A Sheikah, hmm? Well." She dropped her hold on Sheik and withdrew back into the shadow. Light flared and two new lanterns were lit. She could now be seen, seated behind a counter. She looked to Rae and Link. "Then you must be the Offworlder who sees The Truth, and the Hero of Time…" She was suddenly pushing steaming teacups at the three of them. "Very well. I am Koume, the only remaining hedgewitch of the Sheikah." She smoothed out the lacework on the counter. It bore a highly detailed version of the Eye of Truth. "Sadly, my sister, Kotake, passed away not too long ago. Another of our rank, Doneia, has since had a deteriorated condition. I am the only one left."

Out of the corner of her eye, Rae saw Sheik bow abruptly, one hand over his heart. The other was clenched at his side. "Madam Koume…" Sheik said lowly. "I am honored."

"Stand up, boy." Koume said softly. "You are a child of Destiny. _I_ am honored."

Sheik straightened. "Madam Koume, can you help us?" He asked. "We were sent by Jim and we don't know what is going on."

"Of course." The hedgewitch said. "Please sit, I will tell you this as quickly as I can."

The heroes sank into previously unseen cushions as the woman thoughtfully tapped the side of her face with one finger. "This tale is from long ago, when the people weren't separated into four worlds like they are now. In those times they lived together, and the four giants lived among them."

"Giants?" Link repeated.

Koume nodded. "On the day of the festival of the harvest, the giants spoke to the people, telling them that they would go from the city, one hundred steps to the north, south, east and west. If their help was needed, the people would call out to them in song, and wake the giants from their sleep. Now…there was one who was not pleased with this. An imp. He didn't understand why the giants went to rest in the four directions and lashed out with anger. Repeatedly, he wronged all people. The giants were not pleased with their childhood friend and were dismayed. They were protectors of the four worlds, and if the imp did not stop, they would have to tear him to pieces. The imp was frightened and saddened, but left. Some people say that the giants returned to their sleep and even now rest somewhere deep in the four worlds…"

"What do you think?" Sheik asked quietly.

Koume shrugged. "The giants might be sleeping as it is said, but when they sealed themselves away, four likenesses of themselves were left behind…a communication to each of the four formed worlds…each was contained in the form of a mask."

Tatl appeared. "Of course! That's what Tael meant! The four masks of the gods are captured by evil!"

"Hmm, yes." Koume said, eyeing Tatl thoughtfully. "One is kept within the Deku Temple of Woodfall, east of here. With the masks of the gods captured, the gods cannot hear the cries of the people." Koume stood, gesturing to the door. "Take a ferry from the tour guide house to the Deku Palace. Inside there will be passages that lead to Woodfall. How you will get to them, I do not know. Only Deku are allowed in the Palace."

"I think we can manage that." Rae said. "Thank you for your help."

"Be warned!" Koume said, as they were about to leave. "As the swamp's guardian is kept prisoner, the swamp becomes poisoned! Be careful of her creatures!"

"We will, honored one." Sheik bowed. "Thank you."

Koume made a face. "I told you, boy, it is I who am honored. I am only a hedgewitch and can only give you directions, while you are a pawn of time, and are destined to do great things."

The tour guide house that Koume had spoken of was not too far away. They came upon it in ten minutes; it was raised in the water of the swamp, eight feet in the air. Walking out to it via the wooden walkway, they climbed the ladder and entered the shack.

"AH! You've come to enter the pictograph contest, haven't you!" A burly man waved thick tree trunk arms at them. "Show me your picture! Show me your picture!"

"I don't have one." Link stepped back from the man.

"You don't?? Really??"

"Well, no."

He seemed to be unbelieving. "Well, then! Talk to Vera, over there! She'll give you a pictograph when you go on a boat ride!"

They shifted away from the exuberant man to approach the booth on the other side of the hut.

"Excuse me." Sheik said, peering in. "Might we rent a boat?"

A wide-eyed face, framed by strawberry blonde hair popped out at them. "You? I just gave you a boat!"

Sheik stared at her. "Pardon me, but you didn't."

The woman rubbed her chin, peering at Link and Rae. "You sure?"

"Quite."

Vera blinked, then shrugged. "Fine. Whatever. Adults for 50 rupees, kids for 10 and groups of three to five for 15."

Sheik wordlessly placed twenty's-worth of rupees on the counter. Vera snatched it up, thumping a gold box back down. "Here's your pictograph. Take a picture in the swamp and bring it back to Raoul over there for the contest. Enjoy your trip."

Their boat was a sturdy one, plain except for a pattern of green slashes on the bow. Link, Rae and Sheik got in, and it started through the swamp.

Seeing no reason not to sit back and enjoy the ride, Rae watched the peaceful greenery go by, occasionally dipping her fingers in the water. A soft scratching was out of place between the rippling of water and croaking of frogs, and she saw that Sheik was writing in a book, sitting in the bow.

"What you got here?" Rae asked, curious, watching as the narrow symbols appeared on the page. Sheik paused in his scribbling, holding a piece of what looked like charcoal.

"Jim suggested that we record our movements, and I am." Sheik replied.

"Can I see?" Rae leaned around Link, causing the small boat to tilt sideward. Link made a small noise, gripping the seat with both hands. Sheik relinquished the book, and Rae sat back, causing the boat to right it. Link sighed quietly.

Rae examined the book in her hands, flipping through what she assumed was careful records of their travels. She leaned around Link again, this time the other way, to hand it back. Link squeaked, the boat dipping deeper into the water for a moment. Rae and Sheik stared at him.

"What's your problem?" Rae said bluntly, still in the same position as when she gave the book back to the Sheikah. Link shook his head.

"Nothing."

"Lies." Rae muttered. Link made a face.

"Really…I'm fine."

Sheik squinted at him. "Are you quite sure?" He shifted his weight, and the boat tilted deeper.

Link's knuckles where white as he held the board he sat on. "I just don't handle boats very well, all right?" He held his breath for a moment, and continued. "It's…unsettling."

Sheik and Rae shared a glance. "How is it 'unsettling'?" Rae asked.

"I mean, you're the hero of time – you went through the water temple and stuff…"

Link shrugged. "I grew up in the Forest." He said lowly. "There were only ponds. And even when I left, I always had the Zora's scale or the Zora's tunic with me."

"And now you don't?" Rae said, puzzled. "What happened to your equipment?"

The Hero of Time shot her an exasperated look. "Some items I returned to their owners; they were relics, you know… The rest was on Epona." He made a face. "Let's just drop it, okay?" He shifted uncomfortably. Rae shrugged, secretly amazed that there was something that Link was afraid of. Sheik, pretending to not have heard the end of the conversation, engrossed himself in the Bombers book.

When the boat finally paused at a small dock, Link quickly got out and tied the boat to the dock, face pale. Sheik and Rae took their time getting out, giving Link sometime to gracefully pull himself together. There was a sign a foot away, planted in the grass. It was written in the characters of Hylian

"What does it say?" Rae murmured to Sheik. Being an offworlder, she knew not how to read Hylian, or any of the other languages. for that matter.

"Home of the Deku. Their palace is through here." Sheik supplied. Link came to join them. He had heard nothing.

"I guess…" Link said. "We should turn into a Deku, now."

There was a silence at his words. "How?" Sheik mused, pulling out the mask. Its faint glow made his palms hum. "There's only one mask."

The two men looked at Rae. "What?" She said.

"You're the oracle." Sheik gently reminded her.

"Oh." Rae said. "Right." Taking the mask from Sheik, she held it in both hands for a moment. _This is great. I just love figuring out the hard stuff… Okay. Just make it up. That always works… We were put in the mask because we were in contact with one another, so…_ "Touch me."

"Excuse me?" Sheik burst out. Link blushed crimson.

Rae laughed hesitantly. "Oh – sorry. I mean put our hand on my shoulder – both of you!"

"How s this going to work?" Link asked, he and Sheik moving to comply.

Rae chose not to answer, eyes closing as she put her face into he mask. Instantly it melded with her face, wood sprouting from her cheekbones. She screamed, vaguely feeling both Sheik and Link's fingers dig into her shoulders. She felt he blood rush to her head and suddenly she was falling to the ground.

When Rae opened her eyes a moment later, the once miniature entrance before her was now a perfect size. She flexed wood-like hands before her. Guys?

I'm here. She heard Link.

We are both here. Sheik confirmed afterwards. Are you all right?

Rae smiled, going through the passage. Fine, thanks. Let's get this done.

The Deku Palace was busy wand rather full. Scrubs of all sizes and types were scurrying along. Chattering excitedly. Business scrubs were lined up along one wall, bartering with customers.

Ask what's going on. Sheik suggested. Rae did so, earning herself a strange look from a Deku scrub.

"What's going on? Where have you been?"

"Clock Town." Rae replied distantly.

The other Deku nodded understanding. "Oh, that's all right then. Anyway, the princess has been taken and a monkey is the culprit! The day after tomorrow will be his execution! It's open to the public." The Deku clapped her hands together. "I always knew these monkeys were up to no good! Now they'll get what's coming to them!"

"What about the princess?" Rae asked, echoing Link's thought.

"What? Oh, the princess…" The Deku shrugged, pulling a dark brown leaf from her shoulder. "I expect that she'll be found."

Rae moved away, disgusted. _They care more for an execution than their princess!_ She shuddered, moving into the next chamber.

Some are like that, Sheik said. They don't realize how precious their people are. Rae could imagine his sad frown. Not until it's too late will they come to understand this.

A high-pitched screech drew their attention, and Rae turned to see a monkey being tied to a pole. "It wasn't me!" The monkey cried. "I only wanted to help!" His pleas were ignored and he was put behind a barred gate. The Deku then left him to the crowd.

Poor thing. Link murmured, as they watched him be pelted with fruit. This only persisted until the merchant protested the mistreatment of merchandise. We have to do something.

I'm on it. Rae shifted through the raucous, jeering crowd approaching the cage.

"Come to throw fruit at me?" The monkey asked mournfully, red juice dripping from his fur. "As if that would help your princess!"

"We mean no harm. Truly."

"We?" The monkey blinked at her incorrect pronoun.

Rae! There was a double exclamation.

"I mean, me," Rae said quickly. "Me want to help you. I do."

The monkey sniffed at her. "You smell different than other Deku."

"It's the fruit on your nose," Rae said nervously. "I know the princess went to Woodfall. I'll help you get her back, but I need to know the song."

The monkey squinted at Rae. "How do you know this?"

Rae shrugged, hearing Link warn her of the guards he could see out of the corner of her eye. "I'm not what I appear to be – please, hurry! There isn't much time."

"Go through the gardens. There will be a flower. Drop into it and fly to a ledge nearby. Follow the passage and play the song on the platform!" The monkey paused for a moment, head tilting as he asked her curiously, "How do you expect to play it with no instrument?"

"Never mind that, just—"

"You!" A guard had spotted her talking to the monkey. "What are you doing with the prisoner?"

"I only…"

The monkey stared to sing, bobbing his head.

The guard looked at the captive, glaring. "Quiet, you!"

The monkey ignored him, repeating the melody over and over. Rae strained to hear it, willing herself to memorize the notes; it was the only song in the game that she just could never remember. "You don't understand," she said to the guard, trying to stall for time, "I—"

"He's singing the royal song!" One of the guards declared. "I heard it too many times not to know it!"

"Then that proves it," another said, "Now he'll die at tomorrow's sunset!"

Rae was roughly shoved out of the way as the cage was jerked open, and the monkey – along with the pole he was tied to – was carried away. "Dammit – no!" Rae struggled against the tide, as the monkey became further and further out of her hearing range. _The song!_

We have it! Sheik said urgently. Go!

Rae made her escape, then, melting into the rush of bodies. She winced as she heard the monkey squeal, but kept going on. Rae wound her way through the crowd. Padding along, she distantly heard both Link and Sheik humming the Song of Awakening to make sure they were both correct of the pitch.

Rae prodded the flower below her with one foot. Its large pink petals were soft like velvet, the center a yielding pillow of pollen and seeds. The deku – shaped girl hesitantly stepped on it, yelping in surprise as it swallowed her whole. The plant shifted around her, pulling her further into the ground and then propelling her forcefully straight into the air. A layer of hot pink petals left with her, surrounding her waist like a paragliding skirt. Rae floated for a moment before gliding to a packed dirt ledge nearby. Rae reached out and grasped the crumbling dirt, pulling herself up while her petal glider fell away. There was a passage entrance leading into a dark narrow tunnel. The way was a winding one, and there was no way to tell how far it went.

Just go in. Link said. We've gotten this far, haven't we?

Rae smiled, taking the first of many steps into the corridor. Shuffling along carefully, she let out a startled yelp as she struck a dirt barrier in front of her. She reached out to touch it, searching the surface with her hands. "The tunnel!" She said. "It just stops!"

That can't be it… Sheik said. This is the way! Are you sure it just ends?

Rae felt about again, turning. She flinched as her hand fell through empty air just to her left. "No, wait…the tunnel just turns…it's all right…" She moved on, one hand in front of her, the other following the wall. It was disorienting walking in the dark, and if it weren't for Link and Sheik, she would have gotten lost very quickly. After a while the winding and sharp turns stopped, and they were walking in a straight line. Rae blinked and blinked again, but couldn't understand why. Then it came to her; there was a light, somewhere in the distance, growing brighter and nearer with each step.

"I think we're almost there…" She said, as much to herself as to the other two men. It had been a long day, and there was still a long way to go. They had the song, but they still had to travel across the tops of the swamp trees, across the water to the entrance under the waterfall, past the dragonflies, and into Woodfall. There, there was still more battle against those beetle things and other Dekus and such… There was so much more to do in the small space of three days. Back in Hyrule, they could take however long to finish a temple, but now… Rae sighed and they passed into the light.

The tunnel led out into an enclosed area, filled with sickly violet water and large broken logs that formed a circling path. The logs and broken stumps led right, following the edge of Woodfall all the way around. To the left was the platform that Rae immediately identified as their goal. It was only a few feet away, and if the three of them were human, they could easily climb it.

Let's do it, then. Link agreed, replying to the vaguely formed thought. The water isn't that deep for us.

Rae nodded absently. Can you take the mask off? Sheik asked.

No. She said. I mean, it's my face and body now…

Okay… Link spoke up. Play the Song of Healing – the one that the Happy Mask Salesman played for us.

With what?

Just sing it. Sheik suggested. Hum it.

Rae considered it for a moment and settled on whistling. Pressing wood-like lips she blew the three notes twice. Nothing.

Try again. Link urged.

Rae did – in a lower tone and more to the beat. She even added the extra bit that she remembered from when the Happy Mask Salesman played it. Rae's palms began to tingle, the nerves under her fingertips humming. The blood rushed in Rae's veins and she was suddenly hit with a sharp pain to the head. She crumpled to the ground, feeling her body change for a third time that day, and shook as bones stretched and grew. Link and Sheik vanished from her mind, and appeared physically beside her, both gasping in pain.

"We can't do that again." Rae said breathlessly.

Link groaned as he stood. "We're probably going to have to." Sheik nodded silently.

The three jumped off of a high stump, close to the other platform, but far from where the exit from Woodfall was. Rae burst to the surface of the water, gasping and screaming. The water burned! A sizzling sound filled the area as the water started to eat away at her clothes and skin, tearing away clumps of her hair. Her skin started to blister as she panicked, scrambling to get to the platform. Link and Sheik were doing the same, mouths open and voices loud with pain, thrashing uncontrollably even as their instincts make them move to safety. Rae was clawing at the base of the platform, absurdly wondering why the water didn't burn the wood, when she weakly perched on one of the beams, out of the water, feeling as if she had climbed out of Death Mountain crater once more. She was crying, and someone above her was screaming... Bright light was leaking through the boards as she fell unconscious…

* * *

"Wake up, Rae…"

.

"Rae…"

.

"Please, you have to wake up…"

.

Link was the first person that the Canadian saw when she regained consciousness; his bright blue eyes were filled with worry and edginess, and dark blond hair trailed around his face as he leaned over her. Rae struggled to sit up, rubbing the back of her neck. She felt fine. Were the last few minutes just a dream? "What…?"

"Do you know medicine?" Link asked urgently, tugging her over to where Sheik was cowering against a statue of a large owl. "I can't help him…" He fidigeted. "I don't know why the water was like that…it was like acid or something…oh Goddesses…"

Heart pounding, Rae reached out a hand to Sheik. His arms were covering his face; red, raw and bleeding. His cloths were ripped and tattered (much like her own, now that she thought about it) and patches of hair were missing from his head… It was horrifying, and Rae near pulled away in revulsion.

"He can't heal himself," Link said, "the healer's curse!"

Rae's eyes blurred with tears, knowing who had healed both her and Link. "Sheik…"

"I love you…" The three words were raspy and harsh.

Rae spun to grip Link's torn shirt sleeves. "You don't have potions? Faeries? Nothing?"

"No!"

"Shit!" Rae twirled away, watching her writing boyfriend. "No faeries, no…" Her eyes widened. "Faeries!"

"TATL!"

The gold colored dust ball swirled into life, annoyed, "Wh—" She was snatched out of the air in a rather Peter Pan sort of fashion, as Rae placed her in front of Sheik.

"Heal him!"

"But-"

"He's not dead – you don't have to give your life for him!"

"Don't be so pushy about it!" Tatl snapped, slipping out of Rae's fingers to twirl around Sheik's shaking body. "I know what to do!"

Sheik glowed as Tatl swung around him, creating bright spirals in the air. The magical dust that faeries were made of fell, lighting his skin and then absorbing into it. Sheik sneezed, and Rae had to shield her eyes as the platform was filled with a burst of light…

…the wood beneath her feet was inscribed with the face of a Deku laughing. The two blond men stood on the platform together, harp and ocarina being taken out. Rae watched as they played the song the monkey had given them. It echoed mysteriously in the area for a moment, lingering in the air. For a second the water continued to bubble, and then the ground started to shake. Rae and the two men grabbed a hold of the platform posts, holding on for dear life as the water beneath them began to swirl and churn. Lily pads that they had jumped on washed away, and lower platforms were submerged as the water washed by. A great structure started to rise, rumbling and creaking, an entrance flushing out the same violently purple water as the rest of the swamp. The three watched in amazement as the Deku temple rose from it's watery resting place, coming to a rest at many feet from the water's surface.

Rae flipped the mask over in her hands, standing on top of the flower. "Let's go." Link and Sheik made a face, putting away their instruments. The three stepped onto the ramp and strode bolding into the temple. The inside was a room with no exits. There was a flower on the floor, and a dark ceiling, but that was all. Rae dropped into the flower, waiting for the unsetlling sound that meant the flower had somehow wrapped around her waist.

Click.

The deku rocketed into the air, being thrown high quickly. Rae gave a startled yelp as she went through a space in the ceiling, bursting through a loose net of leaves and vines. She jerked to a stop, floating in the air above the net she had came through, hovering inside a large chamber filled with shadows, flowers and dragon flies. On the other side of the room was a barred door, blocked by living bombchus.

Take out the dragonflies first. Sheik advised. Rae shivered as the three of them looked around out of the same set of eyes. It was just a little creepy when they did that…

"E-excuse me!" There was the sound of soft bells, and Rae paused in mid-step. She looked around the narrow hallway, seeing nothing in either direction except wall that bent around the corner. "Um…over here!" She frowned, turning slowly. Why did this seem so familiar? Rae looked up, craning her neck to peer at the ceiling that was a good three feet away. There, floating like a balloon lost at the fair, was a bubble the color of cotton candy. Inside was a small person – a faerie.

"Please…" The faerie said, in her high voice, "The Great Faerie has sent you, yes?"

"Yes, she has."

"I can sense her jewel on you…can you help me down?"

Vaguely wondering where exactly the jewel had gone to, Rae drew out her seed shooter, aiming at the bubble.

Is that a safe idea? Sheik inquired. She's only in a bubble…

One that's containing her and her powers. Link retorted. The shielding has to be thick.

Rae shot at the bubble, and the faerie burst free, coming to swirl around Rae. "Thank you! Thank you! I will tell the Great Faerie what you have done for me!" And then the magical being was gone.

"Show off." Tatl muttered.

Rae flicked at the dustball, and continued on the down the hall. The next corridor came to an abrupt stop at a high ledge that over saw the next room. At the very far end a door was marked with the same laughing Deku that had been on the platform outside the temple.

Let's take a break Sheik suggested. Let us out.

"Sure…" Rae hummed the Song of Healing, sqeezing her eyes shut in anticipation. Everything was horrible for a long moment, and the world flashed. She collapsed to the ground, coughing harshly. Flecks of red splattered the earthy ground of the temple, and she gasped. "Oh god…" She said. "Oh…"

Sheik wrapped arms around her, gently helping her to sit. The mask fell from Rae's hand and clattered to the ground. "It's all right…Just take a deep breath."

"It hurts too much, Sheik." She rasped, wiping away tears from the corner of her eyes. "I can't keep changing back and forth, I can't."

Sheik hugged her tightly, leaning her against the wall as he stood and went to where Link was peering out of the cubby. "She can't handle this, Link."

"I know." The Hero of Time watched a group of dark poes in the distance chatter and shift around. "But what can we do?"

"Perhaps we could leave her here and go on ourselves."

"She won't like that." Link pointed out.

Sheik nodded. "What if one of us takes the lead?"

"What do you mean?"

Sheik glanced at Rae, who was sitting with her head in her hands, the mask of to one side. "She's getting the blunt of this, mainly because she wears the mask. What if one of us was to wear it? Take the focus pain off of her?"

Link nodded, looking closely at the dragonflies circling the room. "Sounds good. You're telling her, though." He ducked back into the room, going to where Rae was sitting. "You all right?"

"Just give me a minute." She said. Link placed a hand on her shoulder, a strange expression on his face, before taking the bow and arrows that were at her side.

"I need these."

She waved a hand at him. "They're yours anyway."

Link left Sheik with her, carefully taking the dragonflies out one by one. They fell from the air, unnoticed by its companions, and dropped into the churning water with a sickening plop. Link sighed, cocking another arrow. It made him itch to see that Rae was in pain, and that she wouldn't even let him help her out. What made him burn, however, was the way that she and Sheik were just so-

Link shook his head, not wanting to go down that path of thought. There was nothing that he could do about that. She was spoken for. Sheik had gotten to her first. Another two dragonflies fell from the air, soon joined by the last one. The hero threw a bomb at the poes, watching as they scattered in fear, and went back to Sheik and Rae.

"I can handle it!" She yelled at Sheik, taking back the bow and arrows from Link. "I can do this!"

"But before you said—" Sheik tried vainly to gain some ground in the argument.

"Heat of the moment thing, Sheik!" Rae said, standing wobbly. "I've made it this far, and I'm going to get us into that room. Now, let's go!"

"Rae-"

"Let's _go_." She said, gripping the mask in both hands. With a great shove, she put the mask on. A deafening burst of agony echoed in her bones, rocking through her. The transformation, fuelled by blind determination, was a quick flash, and was over before long. Unlike the others, it was short and intense.

"That's the key." Rae gasped, before standing. "Don't drag it out and it's not too bad."

This could knock you out. Sheik said in a strained voice.

Rae chose to ignore that, plunging into the flower at her feet. There was a tense moment of anticipation and she shot out, rocketing into the air on a glider of pastel pink petals. Drifting across the gap, her makeshift skirt fell away and Rae landed on a platform. The door before her slid upwards and she went through it. The room was large – round and empty. The ceiling was high and distant, and the floor was decorated with colored tiles and pale flowers.

Let us out. Link muttered. We all know what happens in big, large, empty rooms.

"But I just—" Rae protested.

I'm sorry, Rae. Sheik said. But considering our battle history, I think he's right.

"…Dammit!"

Another world of hurt, and the three teens were divided again. Rae staggered into Sheik, ignoring the copper taste in her mouth. A dim rustling began to echo in the chamber, the fluttering of wings and leaves whispering around them. Link drew his sword, and Sheik palmed a small satchel, letting Rae stand on her own. A strange chant rang out, startling the three youths into separate battle stances. Rae frowned angrily, realizing why she felt off.

_My staff! _She swore under her breath, eyeing the ceiling as the rattling of bones and beads joined the echoing din. _Why didn't I think of this earlier?_ She pulled one of the few remaining arrows out, aiming at the leering darkness of the vacant ceiling.

"Watch out!" Sheik pushed Rae out of the way as a swarm of bats dove through them, chattering and screeching loudly. There was a small explosion; Sheik was throwing fist-sized bombs. The flying creatures scattered, coming around for a second dive. The chanting shifted into a battle cry as a man dropped from the ceiling. He was over seven feet in height, with a colored reed shield, and a sword larger than the three heroes. He wore a loincloth and animal kin boots, and his body was covered in decorative war paint. Rae stared up at the feathered mask he wore, jumping out of the way as he lunged with his sword.

Letting an arrow loose at the very tall enemy, she ducked under a few straggling bats. She pulled out another piece of artillery, but was suddenly attacked by the flying mammals. She dug into her shoulders and hair, pulling at her fingers as she swiped at them. There was a bright flash right next to her, and they tore away squeaking evilly. Collecting herself, Rae was horrified to see that they had flown off with the last of the arrows.

"Bastards!" She scrambled for another weapon, tripping over something on the floor. Looking at it, she recognized it as one of the flowers that the Deku flew with. _The mask! I have a weapon!_ For the third time in the last five minutes, Rae shifted from her form to the Deku's. Numb but mobile, Rae dropped into the flower.

The enemy giant renewed his battle cry, and the bats doubled, swarming around the Sheikah. Sheik threw a Deku nut across the room, and the bats chased after the bright distraction. Link, meanwhile, slashed at the dancing man's shins, casing the giant to cry out in pain. Rae was crouching from above, carefully staying away from the cloud of bats as she search for a vantage point to attack from. The enemy moved too fast – she couldn't keep up with him.

Link got caught by one of the giant's lunges, and he jerked away as a slash opened on his right arm. The giant gave a sort of victory dance, and chanted several verses. Rae snatched the opportunity, shooting at the eyeholes in his mask with his shooter. The giant screamed, covering his eyes and bending over. Sheik was there, leading the bats like some sort of twisted Pied Piper, blinding and confusing the enemy further. He fell to his knees, blabbering in his native tongue.

Link, having quickly taken his shield off the injured arm (how did it slip past the metal sheet, anyway?) came in for the kill. A howling screech resonated in the room, as the giant's body burst. Bugs by the hundreds scrambled away into the ground, and bats took to flight, joining the furrier attackers in the rafters of the room. Rae floated to the ground carefully, losing her glider.

A mask – one that mimicked the larger version that the attacker had worn, was hovering in the air, glowing faintly. It slowly shrunk to a more manageable size, until it could sit in the palms of both of Link's hands. The Hero of Time reached out and took it.

The three of them were suddenly in a different place made of hazy grounds and floating orbs that looked rather like forest faeries. Tatl came out to join them, dancing around Rae, who was in her own form.

"Where are we?" Tatl asked. A moaning sounded in the distance, originating from a slowly forming shape in the mist. "Who are you?" The faerie called out to it, bouncing lightly.

Rae shook her head. "It's one of the four giants, dustball. The ones in the tale?"

Tatl peered at her curiously, "How do you know?"

"Quiet you two," Link said. "He's saying something." They all paused to hear the next set of moans. It was melodic, almost peaceful in their dreamy surroundings.

"It's like…a song…" Sheik said distantly.

"I hear it!" Tatl said excitedly. "Here—" She bounded up and down, recreating the notes in the bell-like tones of a faerie. "It's the Song of Order!"

"How do _you_ know?" Rae asked teasingly.

"Shush." Link said, playing the notes on the Ocarina of Time. As soon as he finished, the giant spoke again. The steamy space stared to fade away around them, the pale mists of pink and green dissipating.

"'Call us," Tatl translated. "That's what he said."

Everything went black for a moment. After what seemed like a heartbeat, they were suddenly standing inside of what looked like a very large and empty tree. They were standing in front of a large, veiled bark wall, with an exit into the swamp close by.

"Hey – you! Help me!"

Instinctively rising to the call of duty, Link pulled at the leafy mesh. Rae and Sheik joined him, and together they opened the prison. Inside was a Deku, her manner of dress stating that she was of some importance.

"Finally!" She said. "I knew the monkey would send help, but I didn't think it would take so long!" She played with her hair, looking at the three. "Well? Who are you?" They gave their names. "Huh. Well, I thank you. It's a relief to be free and out of this unpleasant place. I'm glad my dad wasn't brash enough to not listen to the monkey!"

Link, Sheik and Rae shared a look. "Yeah…about that…" Link started.

The princess stopped and stared at them. "What about it?"

"They're pretty much going to boil him in a stew, " Rae said plainly.

The princess gaped at them for a moment. "WHAT? Take me to the palace – quickly!"

* * *

Sorry for taking forever… Hands out cookies I hope you like(d) the chapter.

By the way, the prices for the boat were in the game. I think that's exactly what they were, but if you have the time, go and check. I love little details. And I changed Koume, because it's okay that she's in my story as a newly seen character. If you remember, I didn't use the sisters in RITG. Therefore, more Sheikah goodness. (Yay!)

Cheers!


	7. Third Sage

Chapter Six: Third Sage

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't. … Own it, you fool! –eye roll— 

OV: -peeks around the corner-

Sheik: Hey! I see you lurking!

OV: -throws a chunk of paper at him-

Sheik: What's this? –flips through it- It's—it's a chapter! –gasps-

OV: -disappears-

Also, I'm going to separate scenes with the phrase 'et puis,' meaning 'and then,' because when I edit in my original separations are missing and I often skip over them.

Dedication goes to Kadros Minion of time. Why? Because he slipped a request for updateage casually into a conversation and it was the smoothest thing I have ever heard. So. Here it is. Send him cookies. Or diet coke. Or both.

…anyway, read on.

* * *

"But, my precious daughter, I had thought that—" 

"—IN A STEW?" The princess exploded. "FATHER, REALLY—"

The Deku butler bowed to the three heroes. "I really must apologies that you have to witness this little quarrel. The princess has instructed me to thank you on her and her kingdom's behalf." The Deku held out a pendant the shade of the Deku flowers scattered about the swamp. "She bade me to give you this. It is the Pendant of Senses. It will enhance your senses when you wear it. To activate it, only twist the bottom half slightly."

Link accepted it. "Thank you. It was our pleasure."

"Perhaps I may be able to do you one more favor." The Butler examined them carefully. "Only by being with the Princess, were you allowed into the city in the first place. I doubt that my people will be so kind to you on your way out."

"It's all right." Rae said. "We have a way to slip out unnoticed."

The Butler nodded. "Indeed, but the mask causes you great pain, does it not?"

The three of them stared at him. "How did you know that?" Link asked.

He smiled mysteriously. "I will send you to where your boat is docked near the warren. You can continue on freely from there." He raised his hands to the three of them, and a dark violet-blue jewel rose around them. They were lifted gently off their feet, and the room outside of the jewel started to fade away.

"A sage…" Sheik muttered as they were set back on the ground outside the palace. "That was unexpected…"

Link had already untied the bow from the dock and was silently sitting in the center, staring stonily ahead of him. Without comment, Rae and Sheik carefully joined him, taking great care not to upset the boat, so as to keep Link's peace of mind. Once they were settled, the three of them gently pushed away from the small dock. The boat was nudged into the current and it continued on its own, back to the Tourguide Hut.

Rae dipped her fingers into the sparkling clear water, watching the small silver fish dance around her fingertips. "One mask down," she muttered to herself. She settled in the front of the boat and let her hands drift in the water, all the way back to the hut.

-et puis-

"You!" Vera screamed at him as Sheik entered the hut. Her hair was messy, and her eyes were wide as she lifted a shaking finger to point at him. "You were _just_ in here!" Sheik opened his mouth to deny this statement when she waved her hands at him. "NO! Don't say it! You were here! You were!"

Raoul indicated that Sheik should leave, going over to comfort Vera. "Now, now…it's okay…"

"HE BOUGHT TWO BOATS TODAY AND BROUGHT TWO BACK, BUT SAYS HE DIDN'T! EITHER HE'S PLAYING WITH ME OR—"

"Calm down, Vera."

'CALM DOWN?" She screeched, "THAT RED-EYED BOY WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME!"

Sheik closed the door quickly and firmly, blushing hotly from the roots of his hair to somewhere below his collar. He was slightly concerned for the woman, and couldn't help but wonder if she was right. Perhaps the events of time were quite jumbled around…

The three heroes made their way back the way that they had entered the swamp, enjoying the brighter, warmer surroundings. Birds were flying about, singing in the sunshine, and lovely flowers with full petals bloomed along the dense tree line. They stopped in at the Hedgewitches' hut briefly to update her on their progress, and then went back to Clock Town.

The sun was setting as Sheik started to scribble once more in the Bomber's Handbook. Link squinted at the sky and said, "We should probably go to an inn for the night. No sense in heading off in the middle of the night."

"I agree," Rae glanced around South Clock Town, gaze falling on a small door decorated with a claw swipe and silver embeddings. "How about that place?"

"'The Vuporon,'" Sheik read out loud, half in musing and half for her benefit. He discreetly examined its occupants through the open window. There was a family at the counter, two little girls playing peek-a-boo with the littlest boy. "Looks tasteful," he said finally, satisfied that it was a safe enough place to stay.

Link led the way, speaking with the innkeeper.

"Two rooms?" The woman behind the counter asked, eyeing Sheik's arm around Rae's shoulders.

"Common room," Link replied quickly, "Three beds."

The woman nodded and handed them a set of keys. "Down the hall, third door on your left."

The room was quite cozy, with a large table centered under a hanging lamp. A fireplace blazed merrily, wafts of heat causing curtains on the windows to ripple slightly. Link did a quick sweep of the room, checking for listening holes and escapes. Once this was completed, he turned, bade the couple a short good night, and shut himself up in one of the rooms.

There as a silent moment as Rae chose to stare at the doorway. Long arms snaked around her, however, and drew her attention away. She turned into Sheik, resting her head against his shoulder wearily.

"I think I've upset him," she said hesitantly. "But I don't know how…"

Sheik chose not to respond to this thought, knowing full well the reason for Link's uncharacteristic surliness. "I'm glad…that you have returned to us." He led Rae to the side of the fire, and they sat down in the glow of it. Rae stroked the pattern on the decorative rug appreciatively, tracing the swirls and plucking at a loose thread. Sheik made the same pattern down the side of her right arm. "Was your family concerned upon your return?"

"They were angry," Rae said colorlessly. "Then they assumed that I had followed my brother's example and just taken off. Gotten fed up. They were glad that I had returned, but they expected me to run away again." She sighed, settling further into Sheik's embrace. "And now I have."

Sheik thought for a moment. "You speak fondly of your brother, despite his apparent faults."

"He was a good person and a good brother, and didn't deserve what my parents said to him," Rae burst out angrily.

"What did he do?"

"Nothing," Rae said lowly. She stood, and went to sit at the table. She stared blankly at the flowers in the case, appalled that she had revealed so much about her brother. Sheik seemed to sense this and went to join her.

"You haven't spoke of him in a long time, have you?"

Rae shook her head. "No…we don't talk about him. He was the eldest, and now he's nonexistent." She sighed. "My younger brother begs me, some days, to speak of him."

"…Why do you say 'my brother' all the time?" Sheik rested his hands on top of hers. "Can you not say their names?" He smiled gently. "I am not your parents, you know…"

Rae shook her head. "I…can't anymore… It's too…" She pursed her lips. "No. This… That's not why I'm here. I'm here to help Termina, and to defeat Majora." She stood again, fully determined to lock herself in a room.

Sheik caught her arm. "Don't, Rae… To suppress a memory is to leave it in the dark and give it power over you… There are things across the land that delve into minds and release forbidden thoughts…" He forced her to face him. "I do not mean to pry, but I do this for your sake…" He drew her near once more. "Rae, please confide in me…and if not me, then someone else…"

The woman sighed again, summoning the necessary words to say. "My brother – Francis – raised me like a brother. And a friend, despite the fact that he was seven years older than me."

"What happened?"

"He was with a boy…"

Sheik nodded. "And then?"

Rae shook her head. "No, Sheik… He was with a boy." She shared a lowered glance with him. "Much like I am with you…"

Sheik blinked. "Ah. I see." He loosened his grip on her. "I assume that…it is not accepted easily in your society?"

The girl gave a short laugh. 'No, not at all. Is it here?"

"Somewhat. It depends on racial custom." Sheik withdrew thoughtfully. "There are still the odd few that balk at the idea."

Rae looked alongside at him. "Do you?"

"Not particularly, no." He allowed a small smile that he only wore for her. "I much prefer a lady, though…"

She shook her head and playfully punched him, a smile on her face. "So. My angst is this: they were one of the 'odd few' and treated him like shit." She shrugged, feeling her neutral defenses fall back in place. "He couldn't take it and left. I haven't seen him since."

"You love him still."

"More than most people," she replied. She stretched and slipped out of Sheik's grasp. "But enough of this. We have things to do tomorrow. G'night." Without waiting for a reply, she went to a free room and closed the door behind her.

Sheik took the remaining chamber. "Good night…"

-et puis-

Link was the first one awake the next morning, and he sat moodily in their common room. After sitting in one chair and then the others, he finally decided to poke grumpily at the dead fire.

A swirl of pale orange dust signified the arrival of a faerie. "Morning, Link!"

Link grunted at her.

Tatl fluttered around his head, casting a halo of sparkles in her wake. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the blond Hyrulian mumbled.

"Uh, huh…" The faerie flittered in place for a moment. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"What's wrong?"

"NOTHING"

"What's wrong?"

"NOTHING!"

Tatl made a half jingle, signifying that she was pouting. "Well, I think we should go to Snowhead today. Y'know, because my brother said so…" She spiraled away into nothingness and left Link alone once more.

Rae came out of her room shortly after, Sheik appearing a few moments later. Link watched their exchange stonily, adjusted his sword on his back and snatched up the keys from the room tabletop.

"Ready?" He asked.

Rae nodded, reaching for Sheik's hand.

Link's stomach tightened. "Let's go then."

* * *

The only real reason for hearing about Francis is because I'm leading up to the eventual trilogy after I somehow manage to finish this story. Which will happen, I promise. I PROMISE. 

And…this was short. Yes, I know… However, I've updated other things to make up for that…hopefully you follow those stories…

By the way, I honestly do think that the Deku Butler is a sage in the game. You want proof? Race him. When he takes you back to the entrance of the cave you were in, you will leave in _a warp jewel_. The only time that Link used a warp jewel was when he was going to see_ a sage_ in OoT. I'm telling you…he's a sage – the only one careless enough to show his power. That's were the whole idea of sages in Termina came from, by the way, so you can thank that little graphic effect in the game. I've looked for proof of other sages, and haven't found anything substantial… Okay, that's not true. Remember how Jim mentioned Francis the Bank Keeper? Yeah. He's totally a sage; he's the only one who remembers anything! _The only one_. (Link doesn't count.) Now, I know that this is because he's supposed to keep a bank account for you, but still… It's proof that he is a Sage, as well! It is! He's not affected by the flow of time! PROOF, I TELL YOU! I HAVE PROOF FOR TWO SAGES!

Link: Whoop-de-doo. It's your story. You don't need proof.

Me: Shut up. I have it.


	8. Chilly Trekking

Disclaimer: HENCEFORTH I DISCLAIM ALL THINGS OF A ZELDA NATURE. …EXCEPT RAE, BECAUSE SHE IS MINE. THANK YOU.

* * *

**To 'Time Woman/Sammy':** I am forced to address your comment here, because you did not leave a way to contact you about your request. I love that you are enjoying the story and that you've read it several several times. Thank you! However, because of my meticulous planning, character insertion is not an option at the current time. I mean this in the best possible way, but your character, though lovely, doesn't quite blend into the flow and continuity of my fiction. She, perhaps, would be better off spotlighting in her own story. To include her, I would have to change her drastically, since I already had the ice wall scenes and Goron Village scenes written when I received your review. Snowhead and the Ice Temple have massive changes, like most of what I do in this reality of Termnia. Also, her history doesn't coincide with my history of Hyrule and the Seven Year War. I thank you for the character offer, but I don't think I'll be able to use her for this storyline. My story consistency is important to me, and though I love receiving character offers, sometimes I have to turn them down.

Thank you for the time. Now I give you the chapter.

* * *

Chapter Seven_: Chilly Trekking_

Rae had almost refused to leave the town because of the inadequate winter clothing that was sold to them by the Clock Town merchants. However, since there was nothing more to be bought, and since the lands had to be saved, she left with Sheik and Link most reluctantly. After all, the other two had almost left the town without acquiring additional clothing at all.

Another drift of snow blew in Rae's face, causing her to start hacking. They were climbing up an icy slope north of Clock Town. Foot and hand holds were easy to find, but keeping a grip on them was an entirely different matter. Everything shone with a colourless light, and was smooth and slick to the touch. Snow fell in varying weights, being light and powdery at the foot of the slope, and growing increasingly difficult to move through as they went on. It became heavy and wet, clinging and soaking in thick clumps. The wind blew drifts one way and then blew the three heroes back the other, causing a distressingly tedious zigzag pattern up the incline. They kept at the climb, however, being used to not having things in their favour, and eventually reached a series of raised ledges, each leading to a more prominent and sturdy shelf on the wall.

Link nearly toppled off the final ledge and into Sheik, who was pulling himself on. Rae tugged him back, and they huddled on the small ridge for a moment.

"There appears to be a problem," Sheik said, looking as if he missed his head wrap, for the warmth that it had provided. The Sheikah pointed up. A wall extended upwards, almost reaching the first peaks of the mountain side. It was smooth and made entirely of ice. When Rae thumped one hand on it, the hollow sound she had hoped for wasn't returned. The wall glittered with the morning light, as if acknowledging her presence.

"I don't suppose you'd have fire arrows, do you?" Rae poked Link, who didn't appear to feel it.

"No," The Hylian said, shivering, "And even if Din's Fire wasn't in Epona's saddlebags, I wouldn't have the strength to cast it."

"Oh."

Sheik sighed. "There's a crevice further along. We should seek shelter until we can solve this."

Any fire they started immediately blew out. The wind from the ice barrier snuffed it with ease.

…

Rae couldn't find the ice shards that could shatter the wall from above. They didn't seem to exist in the reality.

…

Their only constant was shivering and the chattering of teeth. A particularly vicious wind blew a deep drift over the cliff base, covering the path.

…

"We have to go back," Rae said.

"Link's fallen asleep," Sheik replied. "We can't carry him down the slope – we'll all fall."

"It's not safe for him to sleep," Rae said quietly. "He might not wake up…"

…

The Sheikah was burning through his healing reserves quickly to keep their flesh from freezing and their blood from ceasing to flow.

…

The barrier gleamed brightly, light burning patterns in their eyes.

…

Link woke, muttered "the sage" and then fell asleep again.

…

They huddled tighter together, clinging to the meager heat their bodies offered.

…

"I can't believe we're actually going to die," Rae murmured hazily. Bits of ice were frozen in her eyelashes; tears that dared escape into the cold.

…

Tatl started to dust them with healing.

…

Link woke a second time and tried to crawl out of the cave. "There's a shelf," he said languidly, "In the wall."

They pulled him back.

"There isn't a shelf," Rae said, smoothing the quaking Hylian's hair. They were as high up as they could possibly go, and scaling the towering blockage was out of the question.

…

Sheik couldn't stop staring at the barrier.

The path downwards still hadn't cleared.

…

Rae started singing songs to keep awake, and her voice soon grew rough with the effort.

…

Sheik sat up, squinting through Tatl's near-consistent curtain of dust and the pre-dusk light. "There _is_ a shelf." He untangled himself from his dozing companions and dragged himself out of the small crevice. Reaching for magic reserves that where deeply, deeply embedded within him, he slowly tugged them out to fill his limbs. The magic complained, straining against him – it was attached to his life force and would never let go. Risking it, Sheik found the strength to stagger to the ice barrier, watching his hands tremble over the slick surface because he could not feel it. Abruptly, the ice gave away and Sheik's hands fell forward. A small shelf was carved into the wall, nearly invisible because of its colorless transparency, and cleverly hidden because the light reflecting off the wall make it look like an imperfection inside the ice.

"He saw it," Sheik said in amazement, "How did he see it?"

Looking closer, Sheik could make out the symbol of the Gorons, carved into the shelf. He dug into his pocket, pulled out a bomb from its bag, and twisted the coarse string to light it. The bomb was sparking and on the shelf as Sheik pulled a sluggish leap back to the crevice. There was a disappointing muffled bang, and Sheik glanced back. The wall remained intact.

Sheik swore slowly, releasing his hold on the last dregs of his magic. There was pressure at his elbow, and he looked down to see one bright blue eye watching him.

"Sage," Link sighed.

Sheik nodded without really agreeing.

_

* * *

-et puis-

* * *

_

The young woman woke with a stifled sob, recognizing the pricking burn that meant she had been out in the cold much too long. However, that same sensation also meant that she was still alive.

Rae decided that seeing wouldn't be too painful, and was proven wrong when a hot gust of ash and cinder blew into her face. She coughed, turned away, and focused on the source of her scorching misery. It was an oven. No – a forge. A small man in a leather apron was working with the bellows; sending heat wafting through the room. On similar cots, to her right, Sheik and Link were still sleeping – their faces and skin red, raw and cracked from the cold.

Rae got up, her bones and stiff limbs protesting loudly. The room spun wildly for a moment, and a large hand steadied her. After the moment had passed, Rae looked up. She stifled a gasp of shock.

The man in front of her was huge, towering over her easily. Rae couldn't understand how he had missed him in her glance around the room. Burly arms were cut up and scarred, ending at large hands that were thickly calloused. He smiled toothily, dark teeth gleaming in the forge-light. He wore a dark shirt and pants, and a leather apron was worn over top. An iron cap stretched over his head and part of his shoulder; long metal links pressed along edges and into his skin like stitches. His one good free eye was kind and blue, while the other was bloodshot and wild. It peered out at her from a hole punched into the metal mask.

Rae's first thought was that it was Frankenstein's monster. Her second was that it was Two-Face. Her third was, "Uh. Hello."

The man – creature? – grinned wider and bobbed his head in a nod. He moved away with surprising delicacy, and left Rae with the other man. She could see that the larger smith had come from a room to her left, from behind a wall hanging that hid the door.

"You've been to Hyrule, haven't you?" The little smith said. He lifted a hammer to strike at something on the anvil. The tool hit with a loud ring, and the smith struck again.

"What makes you say that?" Rae said, trying to speak over the noise.

"You recognized the symbol of the Gorons," the man replied, "You knew what it was more than a mark of territory."

Rae frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"It wasn't her." Sheik had woken. His normally smooth voice rasped through badly chapped lips. Link was awake as well, and was watching quietly. Rae could see him judging distance from his cot to the door, looking for his sword in the room.

Rae suddenly noticed that, for a forge, there was a mysterious lack of weaponry.

The small blacksmith turned, carrying a sword to a barrel by the window. He plunged it in and sent up a wave of steam. The smith's stature might have been less than average, but solid flex and pull of the muscles in his arms made up for that. His hair was smoothed back with a white cap, though a dark goatee stood out freely against the smith's pale skin. He wore blue under the leather apron, and a bold tattoo was wrapped around his right arm; Hylian symbols were drawn carefully in an even line.

"That…that's my sword…" Link stared at his sword in the hands of the smith, horrified at the unfinished metal and dull edges. "What are you—"

"I'm fixing it," the man said.

"Fixing it?" Link protested, "But it wasn't broken!"

"No," the small smith agreed, setting the weapon in question aside. "However, it is unfit for the Hero of Time. It is weak, and you are not."

"I…oh…" Link watching him for a moment and then smiled. "Sage?"

The man bowed, "My name is Zubora, Sage of the Mountain. Welcome to my home." The sage righted himself and glanced at Rae. "If you were not the one to understand the symbol, then who was it?"

Sheik rose from his cot gracefully, as if he hadn't spent hours freezing slowly to death. "I recognized it, but Link found it."

Zubora regarded him. "Sheikah, eh? That explains it. Hidden locks in Goron doors, no?" He chuckled to himself, shifting his attention back to Link. "And you, Hero. You saw what a Sheikah did not?"

Link shrugged. "The goddess is giving," he said vaguely. Rae thoughtfully remembered that Link sometimes had visions of the future. Of course, it was usually to start off the beginning of a Zelda game, but still…

Zubora nodded, understanding. "Of course." He leaned against the anvil, looking at the three of them contemplatively. "I suppose this is where I'm to give you information and send you on your merry way, am I right?"

"That would be helpful," Link said pointedly, "As would the return of my sword."

The sage shook his head, "Sorry, but no. It's not done. I can't complete it until I coat it. Around here, that means you'll have to find me enough gold dust to fill a regular milk bottle. Find that for me and I will finish your sword." He added helpfully, "I hear that there's some at the hot springs north of here."

_

* * *

-et puis-

* * *

_

Before the snows and ice came to the mountains, it was warm and hot with occasional rain. The second capital of the Gorons was placed in the humid nook of the snowcapped mountains, near a great deal of rivers and ponds. The reason that the Gorons chose to settle there was because it was rich in various rock types, and there were great wells of minerals pocked underneath everything.

"I'm the lightest," Rae said stubbornly, "Therefore, I go. Besides, as I find I have to remind you again, I'm _Canadian_."

Link and Sheik blinked at her as if to ask, 'And this means what, exactly?'

Rae sighed. "Back home we are known for having cold weather, with large amounts of snow that we live with for a good part of the year."

"So you feel this makes you suitably prepared to walk across a thinly iced body of water and climb up a wall of ice?" Sheik asked bluntly.

"Moreso than you two," she retorted, and then took two big steps onto the frosted surface without further discussion. Rae ignored their objecting cries and calmly inched across, her eyes on the path before her and the wall about ten feet away. Not caring if she looked stupid, she spread her arms out on either side of her like wings, and took wider steps that where just short of throwing her off balance. Rae tried to keep her weight as evenly spread as possible, over as much space as she could manage. It was like a riddle she had once heard in primary school – If a man wearing boots and a woman wearing high heels, of the same weight, are on the ice, which will be the one to fall through? It will be the woman, because her weight is in a smaller spot, putting more pressure on the ice, while the man's is spread out more evenly. Luckily enough, Rae was wearing shoes and not high heels.

She continued to shuffle along.

"Come back," Sheik said suddenly, body still with tension "The ice is cracking."

"Too late, now," Rae said, eyeing the ice behind her. She eased forward another foot, hearing the thick crack of the slowly crumbling ice. Pretending not to hear it, she continued on at her current pace, hoping to whatever deity that favoured her that they were only just teasing. Another crack sounded, and Rae swallowed hard, nervously upping her pace. Sliding across the ice in great strides, Rae could see that there were crystalline rungs pressed firmly against the rock face. Underneath them were bars of iron, bolted to the wall. She stumbled, losing footing behind her. Her foot sank into the water, and she fell forward, hitting the ice hard.

"GET UP NOW!" A voice roared behind her. She scrambled awkwardly, slipping backwards as the ice she was kneeling on started breaking away from the rest of the mass. There was a flash of light and she was being pulled onto firmer ground.

"Hurry!" Sheik cried, yanking her across another fragmenting piece. They ran, now, not caring about the pressure they were placing on the ice; it didn't matter anymore. Sheik was leaping over forming cracks, and Rae tried to follow as best as she could, zigzagging after him.

"There's a ladder!"

"I see it!"

"Jump!"

They leapt at the wall, smacking into it and clawing at the transparent rungs. The pair clung to the frozen ladder and started pulling themselves upwards, retreating away from the mushy pool of ice and subzero water. They kept climbing, making slow, tedious progress up the cliff face.

Rae reached for a rung above her and watched her hand come away bloodied. She examined the glove she was wearing and found to be whole. A drop landed on her shoulder, staining the grey fabric of her coat red. She looked up at the man climbing steadily above her and received a drop on the cheek for her troubles.

Rae continued the climb. "You're hurt!"

"I'm fine," Sheik responded.

"You're _leaking_ on me."

Sheik glanced down at her, an amused look on his face. "Leaking? You make me sound like a broken faucet."

"Are you a broken faucet?" She asked.

"I scraped my knee," Sheik said, flashing the front of his left leg so that she could see the wound. "It looks worse than it is. Don't worry about me." The woman bit her lip and worried anyway, but didn't say anything in response.

From the top of the cliff, they could see the entire valley. It was covered in snow, and most buildings looked like piles of stone. The smith's shop was the only place to emit any signs of life, with smoke rising from the chimney in great clouds of dark grey plumes. On the ground below them – a small blot of green and blond – Link was looking back up at them, nervously watching their progress. They waved down at him and, after a moment, the blot waved back.

Sheik approached the mouth of the cave, cautiously peering inside. Rae joined him and they went in together, standing close enough for the backs of their hands to brush against one another. It, perhaps, would have been easier to just hold hands, but they both knew that a potential enemy could somehow twist this simple action to their advantage. Rae privately mourned a time where such hesitance was merely a sign of nerves instead of life-changing carefulness.

"Who enters?" A voice drifted out to caress their entry, the short phrase sounding as if carried on the back of heavy memories. The syllables vibrated in the air, mixing with the dim lighting of the room.

"Heroes of Time." Rae responded firmly. "May we approach the grave of the hero Darmani?"

"You may…"

The atmosphere of the cave lightened, thinning out as they moved further into its center. Hanging lanterns glowed with murky light, and the chains that secured them were covered with hoarfrost and flakes of rust. In the center of the room there stood a great stone slab. It was a dark, storm-coloured grey and the engravings etched into the polished surface were inked over in black soot. It stood six feet high, was four feet across, and half the length deep. It was, most curiously, incased in gleaming ice that held no mar or imperfection. The floor around the stone slab was scratched up and lower than the rest of the floor. Where Sheik and Rae currently stood seemed to be on the edge of a slight incline, and it met at the foot of the marker.

From the face of the stone pillar a tuft of creamy smoke made itself apparent.

"Why do you come? When I was alive I was a renowned warrior and veteran…when I was alive…" The ghost bowed his head even further, sighing frost across the headstone of his grave. "But alas, I am not dead… I went to Snowhead alone, hoping that I could drive off the darkness that was wreaking havoc on the village…now I dwell here, tied to the marker of my former glory…"

"We need your help," Sheik said bluntly, for once being very to the point.

The ghost turned tiredly away. "I cannot. I am of no more use to anyone, and I have failed my people."

"That's the thing – you can help us and redeem yourself." Rae took a step closer. "How can we free you from your imprisonment here?"

Darmani's ghost fluttered around the tall iced-marker, running smoky fingers across the indentations and crystalline fragments. "The marker is my heart, and it is what keeps this village in the icy throes of darkness. A strange masked boy came here…looked upon the inscriptions in the words of my people. The afterglow of life was frosted away." He seemed to fade into a finer mist. "I could not stand the warmth of the spring. I could not stand the glitter of its secret wealth." With deep shame, he left the pillar. "I sealed it away under the weight of my heart…and it has consumed all in its chill."

"This place was once a spring?" Sheik murmured to Rae, examining the base of the gravestone.

Rae nodded, "Yes – a hot spring."

"Help me move this," Sheik requested. Bracing himself against the floor, he thrust himself against the marker. It made a sharp sound and inched forward slightly.

"What are you doing?" Darmani asked suddenly, appearing to one side. His image was clearer and more defined than it had been a moment before. "You should not move it."

Rae joined Sheik and pushed against the marker. It seemed that she was always pushing things around when it came to the realms of the Gorons. Darmani hovered anxiously nearby, fretting about the consequences of moving the marker. When the pair had finally succeeded in moving it half a foot, water started pooling around their feet.

Darmani gasped, dropping from the air. He covered his face with his hands, shaking as the room filled with more of the spring water. Sheik and Rae continued to move the marker, the wet soaking their boots and the hems of their clothing. Darmani dropped to his knees, almost sinking into the floor as he writhed silently. Rae found his soundless agony harder to deal with than hoarse screaming, and pushed even harder on the marker. They had moved it another foot by the time the ghost had curled into a protective ball, and when the monument clicked into its original resting place, Darmani's figure had faded to the point of transparency.

The ghost faded into the water of the spring, and the ice melted off of the marker. The inscriptions glowed lightly for a moment, and then shone outwards in a burst of dark red. Sheik and Rae covered their eyes , and when they looked back, the water steamed around them and was pleasantly warm through their clothing. The small balled figure of the Goron hero had vanished, leaving its original splendor in its place.

The ghost seemed almost tangible before them. He stood on the ground firmly, hands planted on his hips and head proudly thrown back. Black eyes glittered down at them, and the corners of his angled smile flicked upward in approval. This was the Hero Darmani, not the pale wisp that they had encountered only moments before. The symbol of the Gorons was tattooed across the broad plain of his chest, proudly stating his pride in his people in dark turrets of ink.

"I thank you, my fellows," Darmani said. His voice eased from him like approaching thunder. "The child that came before you trapped my glory in the depth of the waters, and sealed it beneath my record of deeds. How is it that I may repay you so that the scales of honour are balanced?"

"We need a bottle of gold dust," Sheik said, holding out the aforementioned container. "We were guided to this spring."

"Is that all?" Darmani asked quizzically, one eyebrow rising. "Gold dust flakes off of a certain stone in the village. You won't find it here – we store it in the Goron Shrine, where it resides under the care of the village elder. His name is Uranai."

"Thank you," Rae said slowly.

Darmani examined the both of them for a long moment. As if deciding something, he nodded and crossed his arms. "I offer my services to you."

Startled, Sheik quickly asked, "How so?"

Darmani gestured to the marker that held his remains and his deeds. "Take me from my resting place and I will help you conquer Snowhead. I am no longer alive, yes, but I must not be dead for a reason. You said I could redeem myself if I were to assist you. I believe this to be true – why else would you break my imprisonment?"

Sheik bowed in respect. "The one who would be able to free you from your ties here is at the foot of the cliff, on the other side of the choppy ice waters. He cannot come here the way that we did."

The ghost nodded, "Then perhaps I can assist you." He went over to one wall of the chamber, indicating the script written there. He waved one hand over the individual characters, pointing to each of them in sequence. The ink melted, running down the wall and pooling on the floor. It stilled for a moment before racing up the wall again, oddly having enough to stretch out and form an arching doorway in the stone wall. The ink darkened, and the rock fell away, vanishing into air as the drawn doorway gave way to a tunnel leading downwards.

"That," Darmani said softly, floating near the entrance, "Should aid your friend."

Rae smartly turned and went out through the mouth of the cave, going over to where the cliff edge towered over the area. She peered over the side, cupped her hands around her mouth, and cried, "LINK – GET UP HERE!" His distant face turned up to her, and she proceeded on just how he was supposed to join her.

* * *

Evil!Cliffhanger, I know. But if it weren't, how would know it was me? –grin-

Okay, so there's a second part to this, and since I'm on a writing kick at the moment, hopefully I'll get it up soon. …Like, actual soon, not years later. (sob) I couldn't get past writing the part where they cross the ice and climb up to the cave… But I figured out that it was because I was trying to write in a linear manner, and I _just don't do that._ So I went and wrote the end of the chapter, then the rest of the fun dialogue parts, did the ice-crossing scene, and added the descriptions in everywhere. … So yeah. There's a glimpse into my writing style – all over hell. Anyway, since that's over, hopefully the next part will be easier to write. Cheers, boys and girls.


	9. Taking the Bull by the Horns

I modeled this chapter after the characteristics of the zodiac sign Taurus found here: It's a slow chapter, I'll admit, but it's the only way I could get this finished. It's also really Link-centric, which is strange for me, but it works. It's just a glimpse for you to see how I think of Link. (Since I've learned to appreciate his character and all…)

Anyway. It's an experimental chapter and an abrupt change of pace. Let me know what you think of it, please! (I don't plan to continue the story in this style – I just wanted to try it.)

* * *

Chapter Eight: Taking the Bull by the Horns

The monstrosity of metal stood across from them, its sharp angles and bolted sides pinned together with great bands of wire and steel. Pressed copper coated the human face, and deep violet paint dripped down the clay rivets that had been added to simulate armor. It breathed steam without inhaling, and it scorched the pressed dirt floor of the chamber. It was a massive bull – a Taurus of a creature, if it could be defined as anything, with the body of the bull and the face of a man who knew only how to stare.

From somewhere in the back of Link's mind the name _Goht_ floated forward.

Link, though he had towered over the other Gorons in the Shrine, was dwarfed by the creature. He stood just inside the room, a few steps away from the door. In one hand he held his reforged sword; it shone in the half-light of the chamber, its gold coating gathering the torchlight and warmly reflecting it.

Goht and Link stood across from each other, gazing calmly at one another. Certain stillness hung between them, ghosting around them and through them, saturating and washing away excitement.

From the recesses of Link's mind, two voices murmured to one another. The hero chose to gently ignore them, caught in the moment between himself and the machine enemy before him.

"Help me," Goht whispered. The word eased into the silence, sliding between them. Link nodded and slowly turned his wrist so the light from his sword bounced across the room.

Goht's eyes flashed red in response.

-

_It had been Sheik who staggered in front of the Temple entrance, one hand pressed to his head as he suddenly knelt in the snow. Link caught him by one elbow, a startled frown of worry creasing his features. Sheik waved a hand at him and smothered a wince as he stood up again. _

"_Are you all right?"_

_Sheik nodded, pressing two fingers to his forehead carefully. "The magic that hides this place is very strong. It pierces my sight when I try to see through it."_

_From his pack, Link pulled out a set of drums that the Smith had given to him. They were simple and compact, with tan skins stretched over dark red bases. Link ran a hand over each drum carefully before cradling the instrument in the crook of one arm and tapping a beat out with the other. _

_The echo of the soft melody drifted through the valley, carried on the wind. With each echo a plane of light shifted, collecting the light and distributing it elsewhere in the valley. The temple at the mountain base of Snowhead eased carefully into view, stepping out of the sharp angles and settling into the blanket of power-snow of the valley floor. _

_Sheik wiped the sunlight-tears from his eyes and the three continued to the mountain temple. _

-

Goht took a step forward.

Link took a breath and blinked once, but made no other move.

-

_The smith greeted them at the door. He ushered them inside quickly and then swept away the snow that had drifted in with them. Link sat immediately on one of the cots, testing it tentatively before sinking into the crosshatched hay. Zubora handed Rae a blanket and she went to drape it over him. _

"_I take it that all went well?" Zubora asked Sheik. He put on a thick pair of gloves and then held out one hand to the Sheikah expectantly. _

"_Aside from the various detours, you mean?" Sheik remarked dryly. He pushed a brimming bottle of gold dust into the smith's hand. _

_Zubora laughed and examined the contents of the bottle through the glass. "Then Darmani is freed. Excellent."_

"_Why didn't you just tell us about him?" Sheik asked curiously. "We would have helped him either way."_

"_Ah, but if you would have helped him anyway, does it matter if I told you or not?" Zubora smiled, tossing the bottle cork to one side. He poured the gold dust into a blackened-metal container, and then put the container into the blazing forge. "Forgive me my amusements, but life isn't always following instructions, completing the task, defeating the evil and saving the day." His voice raised a touch to project over the forge noise. "You need to remember that, young heroes."_

_Sheik gave him a quizzical look, wondering at the source of this mini lecture. The smith smiled at him, offering nothing more than a mysterious shrug before he started to work with the sword and melting gold. Sheik watched him, wondering if there was more to the warning than Zubora was letting on, but the sage remained unyielding. _

"_Tomorrow the earth will shake," Zubora said, as Sheik was starting to turn away. He was oddly serious, and the glance that he sent Sheik was protected. "Rest now, and capture Snowhead on the third day."_

-

Even this was an act against the curse that held Snowhead captive. The slow, wandering pace of their circling was the first strikes of a battle. Each step was taken with definite and calculated choice. Link couldn't explain it himself, but it was something that he could feel in the marrow of his bones. It wound around the joints of his hands, wove between the fabrics of his clothing, and settled somewhere – and everywhere – in between. This stillness was something he vaguely remembered from when he lived in Kokiri Forest. It was breathing without moving, and focusing your vision with a softened gaze. Link felt in complete balance, and somehow credited the spirit of the borrowed body he was occupying.

Each step that Goht took rippled through the room; a slow rumble that vibrated across the dirt floor. The sound of it was muted, soaked up by the walls and the ceiling, and the overall absence of deliberate acoustics in the cavern. It moved steadily towards Link, round eyes fixed on him unblinkingly.

Link took his first step out of his stance.

-

_He reached out to touch the hand of the Elder, this time in the guise of Darmani. There had been no reaction when Link had been in his real body and done the same thing. This time the elder's fingers clenched around the arm of the throne, and muscles up the arm twisted and flexed in response. Eyes opened and darted to the side, fixating on Link. His lips parted slightly, his mouth opening to suck in a meager breath of air. The tip of a tongue flickered out to wet his mouth and the Goron swallowed, muscles in his neck flexing visibly. _

"_Darmani…if you are here, then I am truly dead…"_

"_You are not dead yet," Link said, wrapping his hand around the Goron's. "I have come to lead you to your people." _

"_My people are buried beneath the snows and cursed ice," the Goron said. He gasped with the effort it took to speak. "I am all that remains of our race…"_

"_No," Link said, and pulled hard on the other's arm. The old Goron lurched off his frosted throne, unable to offer up any resistance. "I come so that your son may know the fate of his father. Come with me and he will see you with his own eyes." _

_The Elder shook his head and fell to his knees. "You are an illusion being forced on an old man's mind… You will lead me to nothing…"_

_Link knelt in the snow in front of the Elder. "Stay here and you will become nothing. Would you rather wallow in the frost and dark, or walk towards the thought of your son?" _

_The elder sat limply in the snow of the shrine floor with his empty eyes and gaping mouth open wide to the Lonepeak winds. He blinked once and then blinked again, as if to clear his visions from a snowy mist. _

"_Help me stand," he said finally, and offered a hand to Link. "Ghost or not, the Hero Darmani would never mislead me. Take me to my son."_

-

It seemed like a dance to Link. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot again. Each was a step forward, a crossing over, and then another step with the opposite foot. He felt limber and almost too loose. His detachment hazed the edges of his vision, and his mental processes slipped away. He could hear his heart beating through out his body – it was odd to experience, especially when one usually only associated a heartbeat with one's chest. His blood rushed in his wrists, at the soles of his feet, at the back of his throat, and along his collar where he could almost feel the tattoo of the Goron's symbol on borrowed skin.

Link turned his upper body and kept one leg in place. With a sharp turn, he was facing the opposite way with his back to one of the walls. Goht came to a stop on the other end of the room and turned to face him. The beast's body seemed to compress, right before the bull leapt forward, heading directly for Link at the opposite end of the room. Link tightened his grip on his sword and waited for the right moment to move.

-

_Link was forced against the wall when he entered the Lone Peak Shrine. He struggled to lift one arm so that he could shield himself from the heavy blow of wind and snow. He pushed away from the wall, taking one struggling step forward and then another. A gust of wind squeezed the air from his lungs and Link gasped out loud. "Be careful," he yelled to his companions, "The weather's vicious in here!" _

"_I'm sure it is," Sheik said in a dry tone. Hands clamped onto his and the face of the Sheikah came into sharp focus. Crimson eyes examined him closely, pupils shifting oddly in the light of the room. "This place is a test of illusion and the mind. Do you understand?" Link threw up an arm to block his eyes from another gust of snow. Sheik brought the limb down again, almost pinning it to Link's side. "Link?"_

_White frost clouded his vision, and Link had to blink several times to clear it. "…Yes," the Hylian said, "Okay." Sheik released him and the hero made a visible effort to stand normally, despite his perceived conditions in the room. He glanced around and asked, "Where's Rae?"_

"_Right here." She seemed to step out of the drifts, hesitantly approaching the two men. "Everything's a little misty, but I'm pretty sure I can see the Truth. This place is a tall dome. I found stairs across the room. The elder is likely at the top."_

_Sheik nodded. "Yes, you are correct." He looked at Link again, suggesting, "I'll lead. If you follow behind me, Rae will watch our backs."_

-

Link rolled forward, sliding underneath Goht's belly and tumbling into a standing position on the other side. He relaxed and let his muscles go loose; tension melted away slowly and Link slowed his breathing carefully. He tilted his head to glance over his shoulder and found the mechanical bull carefully turning around to face Link again. The red eyes glittered across the room at him, once again inviting him to spar.

The hero adjusted his grip on his longsword (a short sword to the Goron form) and dropped into a crouched position. The flesh and muscles of his body coiled and tensed, waiting for the next burst of action.

Goht stamped the ground with one hoof and tossed his head. He lowered his head afterwards and trained his eyes on Link again. He burst forward and Link moved to meet him again.

-

"_If you truly are the ghost of Darmani, then you will go to the Lone Peak Shrine and bring back Elder Uranai. He dwells in the reflections of ice and despair, and we dare not go where illusions swallow reason." The young Goron paused; taking his hands off of the chair and folding them overtop his knees. "Please…find my father. I will give you your weight in gold dust if you bring him back to me."_

_Link found himself bowing to the young Goron, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I understand. I will return." _

_They left the Goron shrine and, at Rae's direction, looked for another temple in the snowed-over village. Many of the houses that were built there had been covered over by the weather and storms; though chimneys poked into the air, free to expel smoke and dark ash. A large mound was at the far edge of the village, perched precariously at the cliff end. It was four feet wide, and lead up the side of the mountain. At the top there was a set of windows, all of which bore the symbol of the Gorons. _

_They found a door at the far side of the mound. Link pushed it open with one hand, even though the door ground against the floor in resistance. He stopped as he was about to go in, feeling a peculiar tugging at the base of his neck. _

_There's a faerie nearby,__ Rae said. It occurred to Link that this was perhaps one of the first times he had heard her voice since he put the mask on. __I don't think it's inside the shrine…_

_Link looked around, shifting through the snow as he made a slow circle around the outside of the structure. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary and asked Rae if she was sure. _

_Wait,__ Sheik said from another place inside of Link's mind. __Up there…just below the windows there is a bit of mesh…_

_Link moved for a better vantage point, craning his head to one side in order to peer upwards properly. It took him a moment, but the wind helped him find the small corner of flapping mesh that was independent from the building. _

_I can't get that while I'm in this form, __Link murmured. __Team effort?_

_I think so.__ Rae agreed. Sheik mentally nodded in agreement as well. Link placed his fingers under each side of his jaw line and started humming the Song of Healing. When he started feeling the change come over him, Link moved his fingers forward, pulling at the stone edges that were lifting out of his skin. By the time he was done, Link was standing with Darmani's mask in his hands, and Sheik and Rae were to either side of him, bent painfully in the snow. _

"_Why does that hurt less than the other mask?" Rae wondered to herself, brushing off the knees of her pants. She stretched out her back, squinting up at the mysterious mesh tip flapping in the breeze. "Yeah, that's where it's coming from. Ideas, boys?" _

"_I could try to climb up there," Sheik said doubtfully. He had brushed off a section of the wall, revealing that underneath the shrine was coated in thick ice. "However, I don't know if I would make efficient progress." _

_Link eyed the twenty-foot gap thoughtfully. "Hm." He pulled off his bow and started stretching out the string. _

"'_Hm'?" Rae asked, watching him warm up the bow. Link nodded, pulling out an arrow and aiming directly for the side of the building. He shot the arrow directly into the ice. _

_Sheik moved forward to examine it, tugging on the arrow. When the arrowhead refused to dislodge from the wall, he turned to Link, "Every…two feet, perhaps? _

_In response, Link shot another arrow into the ice, two feet above the other. He continued to do this, placing them in a zigzag pattern from the ground to the mesh. Sheik used the arrows to climb the tower, keeping as close to the wall as he possibly could. Rae watched apprehensively as Sheik made his slow climb to the top. She seemed more apprehensive each time he stopped, but there were times when the wind was too strong for him continue._

_Once at the top, Sheik perched on one arrow and brushed the snow off of the mesh. He pulled the metal clips away from the wall and loosed the fabric enough to recover a small glass container. The glass was frosted over, and the top was secured with cork and twisted wire. _

_Looking down, Sheik called, "Rae?"_

"_I got it," She said, moving so that she was underneath him. "Go for it."_

_Sheik judged the wind for a moment, and then dropped the container. It fell steadily, drifting to one side slightly when the wind gusted. Rae moved to compensate, however, and caught the container. Sheik then made his decent, collecting arrows on his way down. _

_Link and Rae bent the wire away from the bottle mouth, and pried the cork out. Carefully, Link tipped the bottle into Rae's hands, and a faerie rolled out. She shook out her wings, and fluttered off of Rae's hands. _

"_Oh!" She said, lifting slowly into the air, "Thank you for helping me!" _

_-_

"Fight me!"

The drowsy movement vanished in an instant, giving way to the sharp angles of real time. Link dove to one side and rolled upright, narrowly avoiding a burst of concentrated steam. The heat glided past him in a wave that momentarily hazed his vision. The hero blinked it away and turned to face the mechanical bull again.

Goht paced a tight circle and charged again. Link was already moving to the side, knowing that he couldn't count on his own speed in the body of a Goron. The bull veered to meet him, but couldn't count on agility at such a pace. Link thrust his sword into Goht's side and was pulled off his feet. The bull roared and jerked from side-to-side, trying to throw the hero off. Link let go and let himself be tossed across the room. He curled into a tight ball and struck the wall, shaking rocks and clumps of dirt from the ceiling. Goht crashed into the ground at the opposite side of the room, and the sword in its side was jerked loose: the protruding hilt had dug into the floor.

Link ground his fingers into the wall and pulled at a large rock embedded there. Protests sounded in his mind, but the hero ignored them. From behind him he heard the creaking body of the constructed bull, and Link pulled the rock out of the wall. Using the momentum, he stepped out and turned, hurling the rock across the room towards Goht.

The rock skidded across the floor and came to a rest at Goht's feet.

You missed! Rae cried.

No. Link murmured. He dropped a handful of bombs in the dirt behind him.

Sheik gasped, Link – you'll collapse the chamber!

Sheik's and Rae's burst of sudden fear gripped Link tightly, and all at once he missed his unaffected detachment. Like he had done many times in his past, he pushed on, and once again faced the monster trying to kill him.

"Face me, Goht!" Link yelled. He shook with suppressed energy and impatiently watched as the bull slowly stood. "You aren't done yet!"

Steam poured from the hole in Goht's side, and it drew dark marks across the walls and floor. He turned to Link, his legs grinding against his body. The clay had broken off in clumps, and now it was clear that it had not been for mere decoration. With each step, sparks showered from the joints and faded away in the very inflammable dirt room.

You're fucking crazy, Rae muttered. Clearly, she thought it couldn't work, or that it would never work. Her disbelief cluttered Link's nerves, alongside her fear.

"No," Link said again, and lunged forward, rolling into a ball as Goht started another charge. They collided with the bull, striking him just below the joints of his knees. The mechanical monster flew over them and across the room, and Link clipped the side of his sword and struck the opposite wall again. He unrolled enough to stop from going back the way he came, and then pulled his body tightly together again.

There was a moment where all Link could hear was his heartbeat in his ears, and the grinding of metal as Goht turned to face them again.

Then there was a muffled explosion, and all Link could feel were rocks and heavy pieces of wall flying into him. The wall groaned as it collapsed, and Goht's metal frame screeched as it gave way as well.

Another silence passed and Link unrolled, immediately reaching out for his sword. He carefully pulled it from the floor with his palms on the flat of the blade, and held it properly again. The hero moved across the remaining half of the chamber, and started sifting through the dirt. The top of the bull horns were revealed first, and Link moved more dirt aside until he could see the rest of his head.

One of the eyes opened to stare at Link. "I…yield… Finish me…"

Link took a moment to find the place of stillness he had earlier in the battle. His breath stilled and his tension fell away, curling into strength at the palm of his sword hand. The hero-Goron pulled his arm back, and with one hard stroke, chopped at the neck of the mechanical bull called Goht. The staring eyes closed again, and Link sheathed his sword. He picked up the head, cradled it under one arm, and walked out of the half-caved in doorway and into the melting snow.

-

Link ran his fingers over the smooth polished stone. It curved cleanly and bore only the symbol of the Gorons on its front. All-in-all, it looked more like a soup bowl than a Goron mask. He chose to keep this observation to himself, though, and set the mask to one side.

The village snow had melted away completely, emptying into two dug-out areas to create ponds. The creatures of the village – bugs and birds, as well as burrowing animals – came back to life and resumed their daily routines, like they were never even disturbed. A pathway to Darmani's grave appeared, having been hidden away in the impromptu winter. Many Gorons made their way to the grave, intent on sharing the hot spring waters in the company of their hero's memory.

Link found himself in isolated contentedness, sitting at the edge of the pond that almost swallowed his companions the day before. Lily pads and water flowers floated on the surface of the water with their roots reaching to the bottom of the clear-coloured pond. Butterflies traveled from one edge to the other, dipping low enough to grace the water's surface.

From small ripples on the water, five frogs jumped onto various lily pads. The largest and greenest of them turned to Link and blinked one large eye at him.

Impulsively, Link said, "Hello."

The frog croaked at him in response, his tongue snapping out to catch a small bug that flew past him. His companions croaked in chorus, jumping individually when they made a sound.

Link nodded at them and said, "Very nice." For a moment we wondered if he should really be talking to frogs. It sounded a bit like a crazy thing to be doing.

The leader, for that's what he seemed to be, of the frogs sounded a higher note, and the rest followed in suit. This continued for a bit, with Link acknowledging each sequence. Behind him, he heard the door of the Smithy open and close, and he glanced back to see Rae coming towards him. When he returned his attention to the frogs, only the large one remained on the lily pads. The others were calmly swimming away under the water.

The last frog hopped over to the side of the water and then moved onto the land. He stopped beside Link's hand, and croaked very quietly at him. The hero offered his palm to the frog and heard, "I am Don Gero. I thank you for listening to my choir." He croaked once more and then hopped back into the pond. He vanished almost immediately beneath the water, and from where the frog had been, Link pulled a dark green jewel out of the grass. He tucked it into his pocket and looked up at the woman leaning over him.

"We should get back to Clock Town." Rae said, nudging at him with the toe of her boot. "…Are you okay?"

He smiled up at her. "Yes – I'm fine."

She nodded and grabbed him by the wrist to help him up. "Let's go, yeah?"

"Okay."


End file.
